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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514399">When This Began</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetEmber/pseuds/VelvetEmber'>VelvetEmber</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>80,524</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24514399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetEmber/pseuds/VelvetEmber</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anya Weasley, neice to Arthur and Molly Weasley, becomes an orphan when her parents are killed by Death Eaters. The Weasley's take her in to raise her as one of their own and her story unfolds from there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlie Weasley/Original Male Character(s), Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Orphan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There will be several chapters of this story. I have several written at the moment, but due to time restraints, I will have to publish them one at a time. There will be a ton of characters from HP in this story, so stay tuned! </p><p>I haven't written anything in several years, so I may be a bit rusty at the moment. I promise that I will loosen up a bit as the story progresses. :)</p><p>Also, as you all know, I only own the original characters in this story. All HP characters belong to J. K. Rowling, obviously.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When this began, Anya Weasley had just become a six month old orphan. Her parents had been killed by Death Eaters in the sitting room of their family home while Anya slept peacefully in her nursery upstairs, unaware that her life was about to change forever. Everyone from the aurors that arrived to the scene of the crime to the house elves that lived and served in the home were shocked and confused as to why anyone would want to harm such nice people. Pictures lining the walls and scattered across the entire house showed evidence that an adventurous and happily married couple had lived there. Upon doing some digging for information on the deceased couple, an auror on the case discovered that the wife, Margaret, was once a dancer. She attended a muggle dance academy after attending Hogwarts and she then went on to do ballet professionally. For some reason though, she decided to put her career on hold. Her husband, Alvin, owned a sweets shop in Diagon Alley. He was more than successful and everyone that knew him would tell you that he was one of the most pleasant people that they had ever met.</p><p>The head auror, a large bald man in a set of purple and blue robes arrived at the scene to find the couple lying inches away from one another, their eyes wide open, staring into the abyss. Their faces were frozen and contorted in fear. The large man shivered and asked for a blanket to cover their bodies with. As the three other investigators in the room were walking around, gathering evidence and looking for a possible point of entrance for the attackers, a faint cry was heard from upstairs. Remembering that he saw a baby in several of their photographs that he passed upon entering the home, he ran upstairs, searching each room for the little one. He sprinted down the hallway into the last room on the right and noticed a small moving bulge in the crib on the other side of the room. Walking quietly up to it, he gently pulled the pink blanket back revealing a tiny bundle of curly black hair and large, dark eyes. He smiled at the child and reached down to pick her up. She looked at him in alarm, but quickly became focused, reaching up to grab his hat. He leaned away to avoid her grasp, but she was persistent. She smiled happily and clapped her hands when he finally gave up and handed her the colorful prize. Suddenly he heard a quiet voice say his name, “Kingsley…” He looked up to see Albus Dumbledore standing in the doorway. Dumbledore was an old wizard dressed in deep red robes. His long white hair and matching beard billowed slightly with every step he made. Kingsley thought to himself, “What is the Headmaster of Hogwarts doing here?” But then he remembered...The Order. This couple were members of the Order of the Phoenix, an organization standing for the exact opposite of what the Death Eaters and Dark Lord stood for. “I heard about the attack and thought it best to come see things for myself. Is the child alright?” Kingsley looked down at the baby in his arms and then looked at the wizard in front of him. “Dumbledore,” he said quietly. “She seems to be fine. What will become of her now?” The old wizard looked at the baby and smiled while allowing her to play with his long forefinger. “She has family that we can contact. Arthur and Molly. Her father is Arthur’s brother, at least he was…” Kingsley sighed as the child became frustrated and threw his hat on the floor. He glanced back up at the old wizard while balancing the baby on his knee with one arm and fumbling to pick it up off the ground. “Don’t they have enough children to take care of though, Headmaster? Adding one more mouth to feed will just make things more difficult for them. Not to mention, don’t they already have a girl about this age?” Albus smiled, “They are the only family that she has left, Kingsley. We have no choice. We have to ask them if they want her before trying to find her a placement elsewhere.” Kingsley nodded. He knew Albus was right but did not know if leaving her with the Weasley family, no matter how fond he was of them or even if the child was a blood relative of theirs, was right for their family. He did not want them to be burdened with even more responsibility, especially when they have already done so much for The Order. Kingsley handed the child to Dumbledore and patted her head. “I need to go back downstairs and check on everyone's progress. Perhaps they have found clues as to who did this to this poor girls family.” Dumbledore nodded and then said, “I will ask Molly and Arthur if they can care for the baby. Feel free to check in when you have a moment.” Kingsley gave a nod and headed back downstairs to finish his investigation. With a pop, Dumbledore disapparated and found himself in front of a very large, very lopsided cottage. There it was... The Burrow.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Burrow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dumbledore finds Anya a family.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you guys enjoy this one. I know the chapters are not incredibly long, but there again...time restraints. That's okay though because that just means that I will be posting more chapters. :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Home to the Weasley family and refuge to anyone needing a hot meal and a hug, The Burrow was nestled in the countryside, surrounded by farmland and open fields. The Weasleys themselves had several pigs and on occasion you could see a few chickens roam freely in the front yard, pecking around in the grass for whatever they could find. Dumbledore stood in front of the kitchen window, peering through to see if someone was awake at this hour. It was 2AM after all and it was a Tuesday. He wondered whether or not he should try to wake the family, seeing as though Arthur worked at the Ministry in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office during the week and had the worst luck with being forced to pull abnormally long nights when there were raids. He thought for a moment and looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. “The child needs a home,” he thought to himself. Dumbledore then moved slowly to the door so as to not wake the child and he knocked as quietly as he could.</p><p>After four knocks on the large wooden door, a light flickered on in the kitchen. Arthur opened the door, aiming his wand in Dumbledore’s direction. He quickly lowered his wand when he realized who had woken him up so late. “Albus! What in Merlin’s beard are you doing here at this hour?” Dumbledore looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms. Just as he went to speak, Molly popped her head around her husband, trying to figure out who would be calling at such an hour. She looked at the old wizard and her eyes widened. “Albus! What are you doing here? We were not expecting visitors this late, of course.” Dumbledore smiled faintly and then quickly remembered why he was there in the first place. “I’m afraid I have some bad news for you both..and there is a matter that we need to discuss. Do you mind if I come in?” They swiftly backed away from the door allowing him entrance. Molly looked at his sullen face and noticed the bundle in his arms move a bit. “Albus...Is that...Is that a baby?!” She stepped forward and peeked under the blanket. “Yes Molly, it is a baby. Your niece in fact. I’m afraid I have some terrible news…” Molly reached her hands out to hold the little one. Arthur walked up to the table with a tea kettle in hand and used his wand to summon the cups and sugar. He peered over Molly’s shoulder and said, “Our niece? You mean Alvin’s daughter? We haven’t been to see her yet since he and Margaret travel so much. They were supposed to be visiting soon...Why do you have the child?” Dumbledore hung his head and then replied, “I’m afraid something terrible has happened. Your brother and his wife have been killed. It was a Death Eater attack from what the Ministry and I can tell.” Molly gasped and Arthur put his face in his hands. “When did this happen?” he asked. Dumbledore looked over at the small child squirming in Molly’s arms and said, “This evening...The Ministry has its best aurors on the case. Kingsley is still there as we speak looking for clues as to whom exactly did this. Until we figure out the details, I’m afraid that is the only lead that we have. This child...her name is Anya from what we gathered from the documents that we found in the house. She has been orphaned. Would you be willing to take her in? There is no one else.” Arthur looked at Molly. She looked at the tiny baby and then nodded. Arthur replied, “Of course we will keep her here. There is no question.” Dumbledore smiled and patted Arthur on the shoulder. “Thank you, my friend. I thought that you would want her. Her parents left behind a sum of money. Here is the key to their vault at Gringotts. Hopefully this will lessen some of the costs of raising another child…” He pulled out a small shiny key from his robes, holding it in between the two of them. Molly smiled down at the baby and said, “Thank you but we will manage.” Arthur took the key from Dumbledore and put it in his robe pocket for the time being. “We will keep it safe for her until she gets older and can take control of her own finances.” Dumbledore shook his head in agreement and stood up to head towards the door. “I am sorry for your loss, Arthur. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you, old friend.” Arthur extended his hand and Dumbledore took it with one hand and patted him on the shoulder with the other. He walked out the door and disapparated with a loud pop. Arthur and Molly looked at one another through tear filled eyes and then glanced down at the baby who was now wiggling awake. They smiled weakly and began to unwrap their new family addition. As soon as their eyes landed on her, they both agreed that they should raise her as one of their own children. And so they did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Youngest Weasley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya is all grown up now.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the lack of updating. No time to slow down and all that jazz...</p><p>Also, my story does not exactly flow with the timeline in the books or movies, so go easy on me, lol. </p><p>Obviously I don't own anything in the HP universe, just my original characters.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raised as a Weasley child and knowing that she was adopted from early on, Anya never gave her situation much thought. Sure she didn't exactly look like the others, but she was treated exactly the same and wouldn't have had it any other way. </p><p>She and Ginny attended Hogwarts at the same time and stayed pretty much inseparable throughout their school years. Even after Ginny married Harry Potter, Anya moved in with them at Grimmauld Place, per the request of Ginny of course, and she worked side by side with Arthur at the Ministry while also baking cakes and sweet treats out of her home for large company gatherings and small parties. Ginny went on to coach an all girls Quidditch team full time while Harry became an Auror just after leaving Hogwarts. At the end of each day, they would come together at the kitchen island for a strong cup of tea and whatever Anya had whipped up for dinner that evening. They, along with Harry, would discuss the events of their day and their plans for the week. They would even gossip from time to time, causing poor Harry to feel awfully left out.</p><p>Every Friday, the Order would have their meetings at either Grimmauld Place or at the Burrow, depending on work schedules, baby sitters, etc. The meetings usually only consisted of around twenty or so people, but over the past few months, the Order numbers had grown exponentially as Voldemort's followers also grew in number. Usually, once a month Molly Weasley would cook a large dinner for everyone and by everyone, surely she prepared enough food for an army, whether there were ten or seventy people attending the meeting that night. She was never alone though. Anya would always get off work early on large cooking days and head to whichever home she was going to be needed at. She would pin back her hair, roll up her sleeves, slap on an apron and cook like there was no tomorrow, side by side with her mother. </p><p>This Friday was no different. Anya clocked out early from the Ministry promptly at 3pm. She disapparated and landed just on the outskirts of the fields surrounding the Burrow. 'Gotta love wards, I suppose...' she thought to herself as she began her nearly five minute walk towards the lopsided building. She arrived in front of the small kitchen window just as Molly had popped her head up from checking the roast in the oven. She gave her mother a small wave and walked towards the door.</p><p>Anya stepped inside and was immediately reminded of her childhood. It was warm inside the Burrow, just as it always had been whether it was cold outside or not. The oven was always on and the house always smelled of baked goods. Anya thought that her childhood home reminded her of her mother in a way...Warm, inviting and slightly off if she was being honest. Molly Weasley was an amazing wife and mother with a heart of gold and a sweet voice, but if you crossed her, Merlin help you. She may have chosen to be a wife and mother instead of joining a traditional wizarding career field, but she was a gifted witch in her own right as well as an amazing cook. She taught Anya everything she knew in the kitchen over the years and her daughter became a top notch cook as well, if she did say so herself.</p><p>Taking off her charcoal colored scarf, Anya spun around to find Molly frantically moving about, peeling potatoes and trying to stir a bubbling pot on the stove all at the same time. She took her peacoat off and hung it up with her bag and scarf and quickly rushed over to stir the bubbling brown gravy. "Thank Merlin you are here, dear," Molly said as she quickly wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "I didn't think I could get it all done in time had you not arrived just now." Anya smiled and said, "I'm here! What do you need me to do?" Molly glanced around the room in search of her menu. With a slight huff, she thrusted the paper at her daughter and replied, "Everything from here, down..." 'Here, down' meant making mashed potatoes, roasting vegetables, making bread and creating at least four separate desserts for the evening. She had no idea where to start, but Anya tied on an apron and just started throwing things together. </p><p>Wearing a light gray sweater dress that fell just above her knee, accompanied by a stretchy/chunky black belt around her waist and mid calf length heeled boots, Anya realized that she was currently over dressed. Her feet began to ache as she had been standing at the counter kneading and rolling out dough for nearly 45 minutes. Her long curly black hair had slowly began falling out of the low pony tail that she had put it in upon arriving and strands would occasionally fall into her face as she moved the rolling pin back and forth, while her dainty jewelry jingled lightly with every movement she made. Molly pulled the amazing smelling roast out of the oven just as Arthur had walked in from work nearly two hours after Anya had arrived. He removed his hat and coat, while greeting both women lightheartedly. Neither was exactly perky at the moment when there was a feast to be prepared, but they returned his pleasantries and went about their cooking. Shortly thereafter, guests started trickling in. </p><p>As Anya continued rolling out the dough for the rolls, witches and wizards of all ages began swooping in from all entrances. Some would occasionally stop in to greet her whether she knew them or not, others would just walk right by her. She quickly formed all of the rolls, got them on a tray and slid them into the oven. Molly looked around with her hands on her hips, glancing approvingly at her flour dusted daughter. "I do believe we are done here, my dear. I cannot begin to thank you enough for everything you have done. Now, you give me this apron and you go into the sitting room and mingle with the others. Play hostess for me, if you will." Anya looked at her mother in mild terror. "Don't you think it would be better if you went out there, mum? That's a lot of people...I don't know them all...This is your house..." Molly shook her head and in a happy tone chimed, "There is no time like the present to go meet everyone! Your father is out there, probably having a drink and one of those muggle cigars he is always on about so you won't be alone. Just go find him." She reached up to untie the ribbon that Anya used to keep her hair out of her face. She gave her a once over and shooed her out of the kitchen.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Friends & Strangers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya meets some new people.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya walked hesitantly down the hallway to get to the sitting room. She began looking around for someone  that she knew to hold a conversation with long enough to not have to submerge herself into a sea of strangers. Soon it would be time for dinner, after all and she wouldn't have to make small talk for very long. Finding absolutely no one of interest, Anya quietly greeted anyone that crossed her path and then swiftly went on her way in search of a familiar face. </p><p>Soon she stumbled upon the dreaded sitting room and immediately noticed a large table filled with witches and wizards of all ages on the right side of the room. The smell and smoke of muggle cigars lingered just above where they were sitting and the sounds of laughter and intense conversations could be heard from miles away. On the left side of the room was an old green sofa with a few friendly faces lounging about. Fred and George sat discussing new products for their joke shop when Fred caught a glimpse of Anya slowly making her way towards the room. He nudged his brother and said, "Oi! Where have you been, sis?" Anya smiled weakly but walked toward the two gingers on the couch anyway and George patted a spot on the couch for her to sit between them. "I was in the kitchen helping mum with dinner. I've been here since 3 or so...Where have you two been? I haven't seen you in ages it seems." Fred used his hand to dust flour off of her cheek and said, "She had you making bread again, huh? Thought you didn't like baking bread? You need to learn to be more like us!" Just then George piped up, "Yeah! More like us! We show up closer to time to eat. People can't expect you to help if you aren't here, after all." He winked in Anya's direction and all she could do was chuckle and shake her head. It was just like them to avoid the kitchen. Molly tried tirelessly to teach all of the Weasley children how to cook, but Anya was the only one to catch on. Just as she was about to speak again, Ginny and Harry walked into the room. "Hi all," Harry said with a slight sigh, "how is everyone this evening?" </p><p>After a brief back and forth with Ginny and Harry, Anya was called over to the table across the room by her father. Standing up from the table, he reached his hand out towards her. Anya grabbed his hand and he pulled her into a tight side hug and loudly said, "Everyone, I would like you to meet Anya, my daughter. Some of you may know her already but for those who don't, here is your introduction!" Anya smiled uneasily and gave a small, shy wave. A sea of 'hello' and 'good to meet you' flooded towards the front of the table. "Hello everyone," Anya replied and she turned to look back at Arthur who began reaching down for his tea. "Dad, what was that about?" He looked at her over his cup as he took a long sip and then replied with a slight smile, "Just thought you needed an introduction..." She shook her head and turned to glance around.</p><p>Upon observing the ever growing table full of people, Anya realized that she had grown up with several of these people, but there were definitely some not so familiar faces, especially one in particular; a man dressed in black robes with shoulder length black hair and dark eyes looking at her as she "sized up" everyone at the table. He remained still as Professor Flitwick sat beside him, rambling on about the latest issue of The Quibbler that he had obtained from Luna Lovegood earlier that afternoon. The dark, silent man watched her as she interacted with others and eventually turned his attention back to his "conversation" with Flitwick, but not before overhearing a conversation she was quickly sucked into. </p><p>Anya, turned around when she heard talking just behind her. There stood a rather inebriated Professor Slughorn, sloshing his drink and smiling cheerfully at Arthur, who had been standing beside her the whole time. "Weasley! Another Weasley! Merlin I completely forgot that you had another daughter, Arthur!" Anya's smile faded a bit but she mustered up a reply. "I suppose I am quite forgettable then seeing as though you aren't the first person to say that, Professor." Slughorn looked at her and with a drunken smile, replied, "Well yes...wait...no. We don't see you very often is what I mean, dear girl." Anya smiled weakly at his response and excused herself. Arthur saw the look in her eyes when she turned to leave, but thought it best not to bother her. She needed her space, after all. </p><p>Anya decided to take a walk outside and didn't bother to go back inside for her coat or scarf. She hugged herself against the cold breeze as it whipped at her face and body while she wandered around the front yard. Soon she stumbled upon the picnic table where her whole family had lunch during the warmer months when she was a child. She fondly remembered Molly bringing out trays of sandwiches and icy lemonade on hot days when all of the kids had been playing outside for hours. She smiled briefly and sat down, looking up at the tree hovering over her. It seemed so much bigger now...</p><p>After a few minutes of solitude, Anya heard the crunching of snow behind her. She turned quickly to see the mysterious man from the sitting room a few feet away from where she was sitting. He stood rather tall, taller than she was that was for certain. He had pale skin, a larger than average nose and a slender body but what caught Anya's eye was his hands. His fingers were rather lengthy and thin and you could tell that whatever his profession was, it took a toll on his hands. He was holding something in front of himself and those long fingers held tightly to it. They looked at one another for a second before he held out what appeared to be her coat in one hand while raising the other to show he meant her no harm. "You looked as though you needed this..." he said silkily. His voice was like warm butter. Anya took the coat and smiled shyly. "Thank you, Mister...?" The man looked down hesitantly for a moment and then said, "Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Comfort Zone, Non Existent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya and Professor Snape warm up to one another.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya smiled at him briefly before sliding on her coat. Its warmth enveloped her quickly as she said, "Well, thank you again, Professor. I definitely needed this." He quickly nodded, turning to leave. She thought about his act of kindness and said before really thinking it through, "You could stay if you like. That is if you don't mind the cold..." Professor Snape paused for a monent and turned to look back. He walked towards her, only to stand beside the picnic table that she was currently sitting on. "Feel free to sit down. I don't bite." He glanced over at her and slowly moved to sit down on the opposite end of the table. Anya couldn't help but notice his quietly shy demeanor and smiled softly as she looked down at the browning grass. She could feel his eyes on her and she wondered why he looked at her that way. It was the same way that he looked at her in the sitting room. All Anya knew was that it was nice to have some company that didn't talk too much or try to make her go back inside. </p><p>Anya glanced up to see the mysterious professor's onyx orbs looking back at her. He averted his gaze momentarily but said, "Forgive me, but wouldn't you be more comfortable inside? It's quite cold out here and surely your friends and family are wondering where you are..." Anya sighed. "Thank you for your concern, Professor. It may be warmer inside the house, but honestly, I think a bit of fresh air is what I need at the moment. Besides, it's beautiful out here, is it not?" Snape looked around at his surroundings. The sky was gray, the wind was blowing through the trees and the sounds of farm animals were heard every so often. "I suppose you're right," he said in a peaceful tone. He gave Anya a small, uncomfortable smile when he realized that she was watching him take in his surroundings. "Forgive me Professor, but I was just wondering why I have not seen you at any of the other meetings?" Snape turned his body slightly to face her and said, "Interestingly enough, I have been thinking the same thing, Miss Weasley. Suffice it to say, my career keeps me busy year round, but I have been an Order member for as long as I can remember. What is your story?" Anya was taken aback by his sudden need for conversation, but found him intriguing. "Well," she began, "I work for the ministry with Arthur part time and I also have a business on the side creating sweet treats and specialty cakes for parties and such. I try to come to as many meetings as I can, but it isn't always feasible, I'm afraid. I do try to make it at least once per month, but my parents keep me in the loop constantly." Snape nodded and said, "Your parents, the Weasleys." Anya shook her head and there was a momentary silence. Snape then continued, "I overheard what Slughorn said to you." Anya's head dipped down and she closed her eyes, "and that is why you came out here," she said quietly. Snape cast his eyes downward and replied, "Yes and no. Yes because Slughorn is a drunken imbecile with very little tact and no because I wanted to speak with you." Anya was now even more intrigued by her new acquaintance as she asked, "About?" "Anything," he managed to get out before he lifted his gaze towards Anya which she returned with slight hesitation. Sitting only a few feet from each other,  it was silent between the pair and all that could be heard was the wind around them. </p><p>After several moments of silence, a voice called out from behind them, "Anya, my love, it's time to come inside. Molly needs you." It was Sirius. Anya turned quickly when she heard his voice and said, "Oh Sirius, I didn't hear you come out. When did you get here?" Sirius gave her a warm smile and held his arms open for her to give him a hug, which she did happily. "Only just a few moments ago, I'm afraid. Arthur sent me on a small mission before the meeting." He hugged her warmly and kissed her on the top of the head. While gently playing with her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other, Sirius glanced up and with a slight scoff said, "Snape." "Black," he replied with an equal amount of hatred and forced kindness. Anya could feel the animosity the two held for one another and in order to prevent the two from what may be said next, Anya said, "We should all probably get inside, it is cold after all. Mum probably wants me to help set up for dinner... Thank you for keeping me company, Professor. I hope we can speak again soon." She gave him a genuine smile which Snape returned and then nodded before saying, "Of course, Miss Weasley. As do I." His eyes met hers momentarily before she turned to begin her trek inside. Shifting his gaze to Sirius, a slight look of contempt flashed across his face. This was going to be an interesting evening.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Dinner & A Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The meeting finally occurs and it's not exactly what Anya expected.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Anya stepped inside the Burrow, the warmth immediately made her feel better. She hung up her coat and went to stand beside her mother who was currently discussing with Kingsley Shacklebolt the difference between roasting and braising meat the muggle way. It was the only way that she preferred to cook after all, since using magic in the kitchen was always so hit or miss. It was also the only way that she taught Anya how to cook as well. Looking purely bored out of his mind, Kingsley looked up to see Anya standing beside him and he immediately drew her in for a rather firm side hug as if to say, 'help me!' Snape saw this embrace when he too walked in the door but he continued on his way back to the sitting room, where Sirius had already retired and Anya remained completely unaware of the conversation that was about to occur between the two men. </p><p>In the hallway leading to the currently close to full capacity sitting room, Sirius Black waited for Professor Snape. He knew that dungeon bat would be along soon. When he finally caught a glimpse of Snape, he stepped in front of him. Snape looked less than amused when he asked, "What are you doing, Black?" Sirius let out a small laugh but kept his cool none the less. "I should be asking you the same thing, Snivellus. What are you playing at? Trying to cozy up to Anya? What for?" Snape let out a low growl and gritted his teeth. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Black. I brought the girl her coat. She asked me to stay. Not that it's any business of yours." Sirius moved closer to the potions master before leaning uncomfortably close to his face saying, "Do not think that I am a stupid man, Snape. I know what you're about. You will distance yourself from her at once." Snape let out a laugh before replying, "If she wants me around, then I will gladly oblige, Black. She isn't an object or posession, you do realize this, correct?" "Exactly!" Sirius exclaimed, then remembering that there was some light foot traffic in the hallway as well, he adjusted his tone "Exactly. She is a beautiful young woman who deserves someone so much better than the likes of you. I'm warning you now, Snape. Stay away from her." Snape heard the tone in Sirius' voice become darker with each word he uttered. He smirked slighly when he realized how much he was getting to Sirius. "I think Miss Weasley is old enough to make her own decisions, Black. She doesn't need her... What is it you are to the girl again? Friend? Body guard? Well whatever you are, she doesn't need you acting like a fool and embarassing yourself supposedly on her behalf, purely with motives that could possibly hurt her." "I would NEVER hurt her. I am clearly keeping dark magic loving trash out of her line of sight. Know your place. Heed my warning. Keep your distance." With that, Sirius walked into the sitting room with the others, leaving Snape alone to contemplate his next move. </p><p>Snape found a spot at the table once more beside Flitwick. He immediately began scanning the room for Sirius, preparing himself for whatever might be said next. He had apparently buddied himself up to the Weasley twins on the couch and would every so often cast glances at Snape from across the room. Snape huffed and turned his gaze back to Flitwick who was very obviously trying to hold his attention on subjects that did not matter to him. Just then, Anya walked back into the room to call everyone to dinner. The Weasley twins both stood up simultaneously and managed to drape their long arms around her shoulders before walking her back down the hallway and into the kitchen that was currently filling up with Order members that were more than ready to eat.</p><p>Arthur made his way to the table and sat at the head of it. Molly and Anya brought out baskets of homemade rolls and placed them strategically on the very obviously enchanted table. How else were they going to fit so many people in one room, after all? Once the bread was put out and the glass bottles of wine and water were passed around, Molly sat at the opposite end of the table as her husband and Anya sat to her right. When the noise started to die down, Arthur stood up holding his glass of red wine and decided to make a small speech. "I would first like to welcome everyone to our home. It is humble, but a good place, none the less. I hope that everyone within the Order knows that they are welcome here at any point and that we will always open our doors to anyone wanting to join the cause for good..." Everyone at the table had their eyes on Arthur except for Snape. His gaze lie solely on the raven haired beauty sat comfortably beside her mother. He watched as she smiled up at her father, occasionally twirling a piece of her curly hair between her fingers and laughing whenever he told a joke. He watched as she smoothly transitioned from pose to pose and wondered if she knew how breathtaking she really was. Snape caught himself staring and when he came back to reality, he heard Arthur's last few lines of his speech. "...We should all be ever thankful for my wife Molly and my daughter Anya for their amazing cooking skills. Those of which have kept us all fed for many years now. Join me in raising a glass to the two most talented women that I know!" In that moment, a sea of glasses and mugs could be heard clanking together and the roar of laughter and conversation that arose was almost too loud to bare. Anya smiled as her mother placed her hand on top of her own and happily exclaimed, "Tuck in, everyone!" Just then, all of the food that they had spent so long on had appeared at the table and everyone was passing around bowl after bowl of steaming potatoes and vegetables.</p><p>After a while, the commotion died down, as everyone was busy eating and making conversation. Anya felt someone grab her arm. Ginny had taken the seat right beside her and wanted her attention. She snaked her arms around Anya's and said, "Did you know that you are being watched?" Anya shook her head as Ginny replied, "Don't look now but tall, dark and brooding at 4 o'clock seems to find you fetching!" Ginny began to giggle at her response, immediately causing Anya to laugh as well. She looked up and saw Snape looking at her. He was leaning back in his chair with his wine glass held up as if he was going to take a sip. His long fingers curled around it, almost causing it to dissapear in his hand all together. She smiled at him lightly, causing him to avert his gaze upon realizing that he was staring again. Her smile faded as she turned to look down at her plate. She wasn't hungry. She never was, really. Anya was very much a "bird-like eater" in the fact that most days she just picked at her food. Wine though, she loved wine and began looking around the table for her favorite red. </p><p>When she realized that she was out of luck in the wine department, a familiar presence appeared just behind her, reaching over to pour her a glass of wine. It was Remus. She hadn't seen him in ages and immediately hopped up to hug him. He looked tired and worn out, but he was there and that was enough. Looking behind him, Anya saw Tonks and broke one hug to get another. Tonks in her very pregnant state, just wanted to sit, eat and talk to her friend. Remus condition kept them at home during most of the meetings, causing them to miss out on important information. If it wasn't for Arthur and Anya sending owls, they would never know what was going on within the Order. Anya gave her seat to Tonks and pulled up a chair to be near her friend. They began catching up as much as they could before the meeting truly began. Anya talked about work and of course Tonks asked about a love life that clearly didn't exist, shocked to realize that Anya hadn't been out with a man in years. Being 24 and beautiful had it's perks and downfalls. Obviously there were tons of interested suitors but none of them were only after her heart, in a matter of speaking and because of that, Anya decided to give up on the idea of love.</p><p>Before she and Tonks could finish their conversation, there was a commotion heard just outside the Burrow. Loud pops and zaps could be heard and green and red lights began to flash in no particular pattern. Over half of the people at the table got up and rushed to the windows only to see Death Eaters setting fire to the grass and trees and members of the Order began to file outside to defend the Burrow. Anya ran outside behind Ginny, who took a deep breath before taking off out of the kitchen door, landing them both in the middle of the heaviest downpour of hexes and curses. The two girls raised their wands quickly and while standing back to back, began to help defend the Burrow and Order members. Hexes and spells came from every direction and soon the two became overwhelmed. Harry, who was running beside Ron, realized who was in the middle of it all and ran into the line of fire, grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her out of the epicenter. Ginny began kicking and screaming when she couldn't grab Anya's hand, leaving her alone to handle all of the curses and hexes coming their way. Anya was quickly losing momentum and no one could help her. A hex was cast her way that caused a severe gash on her upper wand arm. Someone cried out in the distance, "Someone help us!!! Anyone!!!" Just then Kingsley, Sirius and a tall, thin wizard Anya had never see before appeared to deflect all of the spells long enough for Sirius to try to get Anya out. He ran towards her but was quickly knocked unconscious by a deflected spell. A black mist began to form around Anya, who had lost a lot of blood and was unable to fight anymore. She fell to her knees and then forward, but never hit the ground before being transported to a heavily wooded location right on the outskirts of the fight.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Tall, Dark & Caring?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya is pulled out of the line of fire just to realize that some people are not as they seem.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon being placed gently to rest against a tree, the black mist settled and a sea of black robes appeared. A Death Eater mask covered the face of her hero who was quickly tending to the gash on her arm as well as the other handful of injuries she sustained. The figure would occasionally put its hands on either side of her face, seemingly trying to wake her. Upon coming to, Anya slowly opened her eyes and glanced straight ahead. She immediately began to try to scoot backwards and to crawl away, crying. The figure grabbed her hands and held them for a second causing Anya to stop her fighting to get away, but it didn't stop the crying. She tried to pull away from the figure but she wasn't strong enough and mustered up the energy to yell out, "Just do it already! Be done with me!" The figure continued to hold her hands. Her crying slowed and the figure led her hand to the brim of the mask on its face. Anya was confused, but helped to remove it and gasped.</p><p>There he was... Her hero. The man that saved her from possibly dying just moments ago. Professor Snape. Anya leaned back against the tree in sheer horror. Snape ran a hand through his hair, tucking some behind his ear. He reached into his inner robe pocket to grab a small glass vial, then held it out to her. She stared at him, unmoving. Snape finally had the courage to speak. "It is a blood rejuvination potion. Please take it." When Anya still didn't move, he said, "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I just saved you, why would I bring you here to harm you?" After a moment, Anya realized he was right. She slowly reached out to take the vial. She removed the stopper and tilted it back into her mouth. The liquid felt hot going down her throat and suddenly her whole body felt as though it were on fire. She gasped for air and flailed her hands only for him to grab them and reassure her that it was normal. When the burning subsided, Anya sat up quickly, still hearing the fight go on about a mile away. "I have to go!" She tried to get up but Snape grabbed her by the waist before she could take off any farther than the tree. While still holding onto her he said, "You cannot leave. I just pulled you out of that madness! What makes you think I would allow you to go back there?!" The tears began to fall again as Anya said, "But I have to go back! It's not fair for me to be here while they are still fighting!" Snape saw the look of hopelessness in her eyes. "The fight is almost over. I had to get you out of there." She stared at him with tears still flowing. She realized that arguing with him was useless. He was stronger than she was and he wouldn't let her leave, she had no idea where her wand was and she was exhausted. He slowly sat down in the grass, bringing her with him. She turned to look at him, tears streaming with dirt and blood smeared on her face. "Why did you save me if you are one of them?" He looked at her pleading eyes and lightly smiled as he pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I suppose in order to get the chance to talk to you, I have to do the unthinkable, huh?" She wanted to smile but the realization of what was happening set back in. Slowly the exhaustion of the night overtook her and she fell asleep with Snape's arms still wrapped around her. </p><p>When she awoke, she found herself in her childhood bed. She heard the familiar voices of her father and brothers outside paired with the sounds of hammering. She grabbed her coat that was draped over the back of an old chair and walked downstairs to find her mother making breakfast and puttering around as she always had. This time was different. Anya could see her shakily scrambling eggs in the large cast iron frying pan she always used. Anya called out to her, "Mum?" Molly turned around with a jump and jogged towards her with her arms out. She wrapped Anya in what had to be the biggest hug she had ever had in her life. "Mum what happened? Where is everyone?" Molly looked down for a moment and said, "All of the family is here, mainly outside fixing up what was damaged or lost in the fire." Anya looked out the kitchen window. Blackness covered what was once green and luscious and her family picnic table was gone. "Mum...was anyone...?" Molly turned and said, "No one was killed thank Merlin, but there were dozens of injuries. I'm just glad that everyone is alright. I'm making breakfast. How are you feeling? You need to eat something, you know. Coffee?" Anya stared at her mother and slowly put her hands on her arms to steady her. She brought her in for a big hug and said, "Why don't we make breakfast together?" And so they did.</p><p>Breakfast was ready and there was a tidal wave of people, family and non family, coming in and out of the kitchen. They would hug, eat and go back to work fixing up the house and property. When they were all fed, Anya went to shower and change clothes and afterwards she was finally able to sit down to eat for the first time in what seemed like days. She and Molly both had tea, scrambled eggs, toast and sausages. After having one bite of eggs, a knock on the door came and Snape walked in. His eyes immediately landed on Anya. Molly looked up in surprise. "Look who it is, Anya! One of my favorite people! I just want to say how appreciative we all are that you were around, Severus. You brought our baby back to us..." Molly hugged Snape tightly, obviously making him uncomfortable. She let go of him and offered him breakfast. He said, "Thank you but I will have to decline. I just came to check on Miss Weasley here. I wanted to make sure that she is healing well after taking those potions." Molly went to grab him a teacup and exclaimed, "Oh of course, of course! Go right ahead, I won't bother you! In fact, I'll give you two a moment alone." She walked into the other room as Snape swiftly moved around the table to situate himself on the bench beside Anya. She turned to look at him and he was staring back at her, searching her face and eyes for anything he was unable to heal or detect the night before. "How are you feeling?" Anya looked away for a moment and replied, "I'm fine, I suppose. I woke up here but I don't remember how I got here. I found out everyone is alive but dozens were harmed and somehow you, one of the followers of the Dark Lord, have infiltrated our ranks. How is that Professor? What are you playing at?" Snape looked away from her, his face twisted with obvious guilt. "I didn't infiltrate the Order's ranks. Everyone knows that I am a double agent which is why I do not exactly have friends within the Order. I keep to myself and offer information when I receive it." Anya looked at him, scanning his face for a shred of deceit. Finding none, she rose, reaching for the teapot and pouring him a cup. "How do you take your tea Professor?" He looked up at her and replied, "Two sugars, lemon and milk." Anya spilled a little bit of tea when she heard his order. "Funny," she said, "That is how I take mine as well." Snape gave her a half smile and thanked her for the tea. "Are you sure that I can't get you something to eat, Professor?" Snape shook his head and insisted that she eat without him. Anya sat back down and nibbled at her toast. She could feel him looking at her, seemingly searching for something but together they sat in silence, sipping tea and ignoring the elephant in the room. Anya gathered all of the dishes and put them in the sink for a good scrub. Snape rose to his feet and went to the sink, standing beside her. "What are you doing, Professor?" Snape smirked shyly and responded, "The dishes, of course." He then hiked up the sleeves of his shirt, only for the mark on his arm to become exposed. When he noticed her eyes focusing on his arm, he quickly started pulling his sleeves down. Anya stopped him halfway by grabbing his hand. She pulled up his sleeve and stood there deep in thought, gazing at the skull and snake tattoo on his forearm. Snape felt ashamed in that moment. He cast his gaze to the floor until she asked, "Does it hurt?" "No," he replied quietly, "It only burns when I'm summoned." She looked into his face and could see his anxiety start to build from having his mark exposed. She pulled his sleeve down and buttoned the cuff for him. He asked her with pain in his voice, "Are you afraid of me?" Without missing a beat, she replied, "No. Should I be?" He looked into her eyes and in the most sincere tone that he could muster up, he replied, "Probably, but I would never let anything happen to you."</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Surprises & Let Downs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It is time for the annual Christmas get together...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Over time, the Weasley family, along with the help of others within the Order, were able to rebuild what was lost the night the Death Eaters destroyed their property. Several more meetings came and went with no further attacks, much to the surprise of everyone that was present that evening. Everyone that was injured was eventually healed and life went on as normal. The holidays were quickly approaching and like always, Molly Weasley was excited to make a huge meal to feed a ton of people, knit some jumpers and scarves to gift to nearly everyone and to throw an amazing Christmas party for anyone that wanted to attend. Needless to say, during this time of year, she was a very busy lady and she wouldn't have it any other way.</p><p>Anya finished up the last of her cake orders for the holiday season and delivered each of them by hand with a smile and a small box of Christmas candy that she hand made. She always felt like it was those small personal touches that always awarded her the repeat business from her clients, that and the fact that she is brilliant in the kitchen, if she should be so bold. Once the last order was delivered, she returned home to tidy up and pack a small bag for her yearly overnight trip to the Burrow for the annual Christmas festivities. Tonight was the big Christmas party the Weasley's hold every year and she along with Ginny and a very pregnant Tonks had been talked into doing the decorating. Somewhere in between decorating and helping Molly cook, Anya was expected to crank out dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies. She wasn't exactly excited about it all, but she had to admit that she loved being a part of the tradition every year. </p><p>Upon entering Grimmauld Place, Anya went straight to the kitchen after hanging up her coat and scarf. She began to tidy up until she heard a noise at the window. There was a dusty gray owl standing on the sill waiting to be let in. Anya opened the window and the creature hopped onto the counter. She gave it a treat from the drawer beside the ice box and took the letter that it was clutching. The owl then chirped but stayed put. To Anya's surprise, it was a letter from Professor Snape explaining that he may not be able to attend the festivities that evening due to a certain work matter and that he wanted to wish her a Merry Christmas just in case he did not see her before the holiday. Anya closed the letter but decided to send a message back with the owl currently on her counter, nipping at her indoor herb garden. The note simply said, 'Professor, I do hope that you are able to attend the party, even if you are fashionably late. You don't want to miss out on all of the merriment that will be taking place. If I do not see you before the holiday, Merry Christmas and please stay safe...' Anya thought for a moment on how she should end the note. Surely she shouldn't write 'Love, Anya' or something silly like that. Instead she just left the note blank of an ending and sent the owl on it's way. </p><p>Once everything was cleaned up and her bag was packed, Anya disapparated and landed just outside of the Burrow wards, as usual. Her trek to the house was a short one and once she got close enough, she could see people walking about in the kitchen. She walked in through the kitchen door just to be hit in the face with the smell of roasted chicken and cookies. Looking up from her cookie decorating, Tonks said, "Thank Merlin you are here! My hands hurt..." She began rubbing them together and popping her knuckles only for Molly to remind her loudly from the other room not to draw anything obscene on the cookies this year because the children never bounced back from the cigarette smoking santa sugar cookies or the gingerbread crime scene she managed to crank out last year. Tonks smiled, nodded, picked up her piping bag and went back to drawing mustaches on the angel cookies. "Classy, Tonks..." Anya said with a chuckle. She gave Anya a wink and continued on with her craft. Curious to see who had made it to the Burrow so far, Anya walked into the sitting room. There, Ginny and Molly were hanging tinsel on the tree and Christmas music was playing lightly in the background. Arthur was sitting in his old arm chair sipping eggnog and discussing work stories with Harry, Sirius and a few older wizards Anya had met over the years. Arthur looked up from his drink and said, "Anya, sweetheart! We were wondering if you were going to show up tonight and here you are!" "Here I am! How can I be of assistance?" Arthur shrugged but Ginny said, "You should probably help Tonks. You're the only one that can stop her from scaring the children with her monster bakes, after all. Plus you are the only one that can make those soft gingerbread cookies that everyone raves about. I always burn them somehow..." Anya nodded before reaching down to grab a glass and fill it with eggnog. Sirius watched her face as she gagged and spat it out back into the cup. "I knew you wouldn't like it," he laughed aloud. She wiped her mouth with the lower part of her sleeve before replying, "Then why didn't you warn me?" Sirius sat back in his chair, taking a rather long drink of the disgusting white beverage before saying, "It is just one more example of how sometimes you have to learn things the hard way, love. Plus, I think it's quite good." Anya gave him an annoyed look and turned around to walk back into the kitchen. </p><p>Still piping away, Tonks watched as Anya hung up her belongings on the coat rack. Curious as to why she looked so down in the dumps, Tonks said, "Alright. Spill it. What's wrong?" Anya washed her hands and began helping her decorate the three trays of cookies that were left on the counter. "Nothing is wrong. Why do you think that something is always wrong?" Tonks stood up and waddled over to her friend. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and said, "Because I know you...You are normally quite cheerful. Who is he? Anyone we know?" Anya shook her head not wanting to talk about it. She didn't want to discuss how she was mildly let down by the fact that Snape may not be there for the party. They had become rather close acquaintances the last few months, discussing books, cooking and their careers whenever they were at the meetings at the same time. Any other time, they were unable to speak often, except for the occasional owl, of course. "Come now, it can't be that dark fella that you talk to at the meetings, right? You know he is bad news, Anya. I get that he saved you and all but he favors dark magic. You should probably let this one go..." Anya looked up at Tonks and mustered up a weak reply, as she was not a very good liar but she definitely wanted to change the subject. "I'm not thinking about the Professor, Tonks. I'm just really tired. It has been a long day and I have been working since 3 A.M." Tonks let her friend go from the embrace and said, "Alright...If that is the story you are going with, fine." Anya smiled at her and reached over to hold her friends hand. "I promise, I'm fine." She gave her hand a slight squeeze and they went back to finishing up the cookies.</p><p>When they were done decorating, Anya grabbed an apron and began making the gingerbread cookies that everyone adored during this time of year. She gathered all of the ingredients and slowly started measuring everything out just when a large group of people began flooding into the house from all entrances. Some would stop and want to chat and others just awarded her with a smile and walked into the sitting room. It was Christmas after all, so of course she wasn't going to get her usual snub from everyone like she did at the meetings during the year. Anya went about her business when she heard a voice say, "You are always in the kitchen making something. I don't know how you do it..." She turned to see her best friend Nathan standing behind her. With small tears in her eyes, she lunged forward at him and they both stood in a hug for a rather long time. Nathan grew up just on the other side of the hill that was located next to the Burrow. He and Anya had become inseparable since she came to live with the Weasley family seeing as his mother and Molly were quite close. After Hogwarts, Nathan went on to become an Auror, traveling the world helping other law enforcement agencies crack hard to solve cases. Just after Anya's 23rd birthday, he broke the news to her that he and his partner/live in boyfriend/her brother Charlie were going to be traveling a lot more and for longer periods of time. He had been gone now for over a year and would owl when he could but that was not always an option in his line of work. Anya was beyond thrilled that he was finally standing in front of her. They stood in the middle of the kitchen hugging while people walked around them to make their way to the sitting room. She broke the hug first. "Let me look at you! Obviously you have been somewhere sunny because your complexion is simply glowing!" Nathan laughed and said, "And obviously you have been doing loads more cake orders because you very much need some sun!" The two had their back and forth before the ultimate question came up. "How long are you staying here?" Nathan smiled and looked down. "Well...I was wondering...Would you be willing to have a new set of roomates for a while?" Anya was beaming. She jumped up and hugged him again, this time quickly letting go to confirm that they were sticking around for good. When she got her confirmation, she hugged him again. This was going to be an amazing Christmas after all.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. People Watching & Proper Names</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The party gets interesting....</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry that it has taken me some time to upload a new chapter. You know how things go, responsibilities and all that jazz... Anyway, I hope you all like this one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting in the window seat with their glasses of poinsettia cocktails and small plates of treats to nosh on, Anya and Nathan shared stories from their lives over the past year. She sat back and listened to some of his biggest cases, silently comparing him to the boy she grew up with. Nathan was tall and thin with slightly red tinted hair, which paled in comparison to the locks of the Weasley family, of course. He had sun kissed skin and always seemed to have the best taste in clothing. His outfits were impeccable and this occasion was no different. As Anya looked him over, lost in thought, she heard, "You ok?" She glanced back up to see Nathan smiling at her. She paused for a second and replied, "Of course! I'm sorry, I just can't believe that you are here..." Nathan smiled and looked down at his drink. "I'm glad to be back. I missed you. The life of an Auror, though I had Charlie with me, is a lonely one. He worked strange hours, as did I and we hardly saw one another. I wasn't allowed to owl you most of the time and I never saw my family. Being an Auror just isn't what I expected over the years. It is a job, and I admittedly do love it, but I'm not sure if it is for me anymore." Anya reached her hand out to Nathan and he took it without hesitation. She spoke softly, "I just want you to be happy. If you aren't happy with the job anymore, find something else. I'm here for you regardless of whatever you choose to do. Give yourself a break. You have been going nonstop since graduation. It's time for a little R&amp;R don't you think?" Nathan chuckled and leaned back against the window. "I suppose you're right. You're always right. Hey, look over there. Seems like Sirius has found his next unsuspecting victim. Poor broad." Anya glanced across the room to see Sirius with his arm wrapped around the shoulders of a young blonde woman, whispering something scandalous in her ear. The young woman jumped up and with the sound of a loud clap, smacked him right across the face. Anya and Nathan both had to hide their laughter as the woman stormed out and Sirius began retrieving his pride from off the carpet. With a small embarassed smile and a swig of his drink, Sirius ran a hand through his hair and walked out the front door. Anya looked over to Nathan. He nodded, knowing she wanted to check on the recently humiliated Sirius Black. </p><p>Anya jogged out the front door and into the cold evening air. The sun had not yet fully gone down, but it was growing darker by the minute. She looked around and didn't see Sirius until her eyes came to rest on the old picnic table under the tree. There he was, sitting on the table, facing away from the house and looking up at the sky. Anya walked up to him and sat down on the other end. He looked over at her and with tired eyes said, "Anya...just don't. Not this time." Anya, slightly annoyed, replied, "Well someone had to come check on you, right? It's not my fault you struck out again. I told you-" She was interrupted by his aggrivated voice, "You told me what? To look for a different type of woman? To branch out? To open myself up? Ha! Yes, yes... I remember. However, I'm afraid dear girl that you are wasting your time. Please leave me alone." Anya, annoyed and cold said, "So because some bloody female doesn't want to be your bed buddy for the evening, you are going to act like a jerk and stay out here all evening? If you didn't notice, there is a Christmas gathering going on in there. No one has time for your moping." He scoffed, "Then leave. Leave me be. I have more on my mind than just some female, Anya." Anya took his advice and walked away, heading back inside to be with her friends and family where it was warm. </p><p>Upon entering the kitchen door, Anya saw Nathan mixing another cocktail. He heard her walk in, held up a drink and said, "Nice chat?" Anya took the glass and rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to let Sirius and his bad attitude bother her. It was a Christmas party after all. The pair linked arms and wandered into the sitting room. The room was full of laughter and warmth. Anya stood still for a moment and took in her surroundings. Children ran through the house, hyper from all of the sugar they had consumed and the room was filled to the brim with people. She and Nathan made their way to sit on the couches with a group of younger Order members. Harry, Ginny and the twins sat on the couches nearest the front door while, like always, the more chatty bunch stayed at the big table on the other side of the room, laughing, drinking eggnog and having what looked like a great time. After talking, joking around and catching up, Anya excused herself to go find Molly, who was supposedly back in the kitchen from what she overheard from the opposite side of the room. </p><p>Anya walked in the kitchen to find Molly fumbling around in the cabinets, talking to herself as always. "What's wrong, mum?" Molly stopped for a moment and said, "I apparently have to remake about seventy-five cookies because Tonks finds it hilarious to make a mockery out of Christmas!" Anya began laughing and said, "Did you really think she would do a good job, mum? It's Tonks. She loves a good laugh!" Molly turned a shade of red that Anya hadn't seen in years and immediately knew to just be quiet and help remake the cookies before her mother exploded. </p><p>An hour later, new cookies replaced the rejects and all was right in the Burrow once more. Molly thanked her for the help and went to play hostess in the other room. Anya turned to grab a glass and make a new drink since she was more than positive that Nathan drank hers while she was gone. Behind her she could hear a soft rustle. She turned to see Professor Snape leaning in the doorway. "Professor! I didn't expect to see you here!" He gave her a small smile and replied, "I found some time to break away from work." Anya found herself reaching for a second glass. "I'm glad that you made it. Would you care for a drink?" Snape nodded and she opened the cabinet to show him the selection. He reached up to grab a bottle of fire whiskey and Anya took it from him, pouring him a healthy glass full. He thanked her and leaned against the door frame once again, taking a rather large sip of his drink. Snape watched her mix the rest of her cocktail and lifted his slightly before she took her first sip. She smiled and asked, "So, how was work?" Snape was mildly taken aback. No one ever asked how his day was or how work went. He looked up from his glass and replied, "Long, sadly. I had to brew tonics and create the salves for the hospital wing. Then Dumbledore informed me that we had a staff meeting at the last moment. That is why I sent the owl. I didn't want to seem rude by not coming." Anya smiled lightly and said, "Well you're here now. Would you care for something to eat?" Snape shook his head and thanked her for the offer. He thought to himself that her kindness reminded him of Molly in a lot of ways. She always seemed to care for others way more than herself and it was an admirable quality in his opinion. He thought about her questions momentarily and wanted to ask her about her day as well. It was only fair, after all. "Did you have any cakes to create today?" Anya placed her drink on the counter and said, "I did, actually. I delivered them right before coming here. Then I had an ungodly amount of cookies to make when I arrived." Before she could say anything else, Sirius came inside through the kitchen door. He saw the pair and scoffed while pushing between them. Snape slammed his glass down on the counter beside Anya's and said, "Is there a problem, Black?" Sirius turned around and walked up to Snape, turning to look at Anya before saying, "Of course not, Snape! Here you are, of course, alone with the youngest Weasley. Once again! I see the two of you together at all of these functions every time I turn around. You are constantly in her space. What is this anyway? Does Arthur know you are very obviously pursuing his daughter? This is probably the most disgusting thing you have ever done, you know, outside of your little side job..." With that last jab, Snape gritted his teeth and with a low growl he managed to say, "You forget your place, Black. I am not the one who served time in Azkaban for crimes we shall not discuss in front of a woman. However, I will say this once and I do hope you hear me when I say this...Whatever this obsession is that you have with Anya, it stops now. Our friendship is not for you to put on display. The amount of time that we speak to one another whether it be at these functions or otherwise is of no concern to you. I suggest you keep your distance and find someone or something else to fill your time." With that, he turned to Anya, handed her the cocktail she made earlier and grabbed her hand to leave the room. Sirius was left standing in the kitchen alone and embarassed for the second time that night. As they walked through the hallway to the sitting room, Anya said, "That was brilliant, Professor. Thank you for defending me." Snape replied in a low tone, "I think after everything that we have been through, Miss Weasley, you should call me Severus." And so, for the rest of the evening, that is what she did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Canning of Anya Weasley</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It is not a good day for Anya...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry for the shorter chapter but I hope you all like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Christmas holiday left as quickly as it came and things went back to normal shortly after the new year. Meetings went back to once per month and Anya was able to fall back into her usual daily routine. One day while filing some paper work in the office that she shared with Arthur, a memo landed on her desk. Anya unfolded the paper airplane and quickly scanned the message. She let out a sigh and balled the note up, tossing it at the bin to her left. She was to have a meeting with Umbridge later that afternoon to "discuss her future" at the ministry. Anya continued her filing and sorting of paperwork until it was time for her meeting. She thought to herself before leaving that it would have been nice to have her father there. Arthur, however, was away on business and wouldn't be back until that evening. She gathered her courage and walked out the door. </p><p>Half an hour later, there Anya stood, officially unemployed and in tears in front of one of the most ruthless women she had ever met. Umbridge had a rather negative reputation amongst the staff at the ministry. She never returned a greeting from anyone and was hardly seen outside of her office unless there were cannings to dish out and here she was, dishing it out. Anya left the pink, cat infested room feeling as though she had lost everything. How was she going to finance her baking without her job at the ministry? She had been working there for years. Perhaps she had become too comfortable over time, but now the rug had been pulled out from under her and it was time to move on whether she liked it or not. She gathered her belongings and put them in a box. Using her wand that she cleverly kept up her sleeve, she used a shrinking charm to shrink the box down to the size of a matchbox and she slipped it into her purse. Looking around the office that she shared with her father one last time, Anya grabbed her coat off the rack, slung her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the ministry for the last time. She used the floo system in the main lobby to travel to Grimmauld Place where she opened the front door, tossed her coat and bag on the rack and stood with her back against the door, trying hard not to hyperventilate. </p><p>As tears began to fill her eyes once more, Anya heard Nathan call out from the kitchen, "You're home early aren't you?" Anya sniffed back her tears, wiped a stray one away with the back of her hand and managed to reply, "Yeah, short day today I guess." Nathan was washing dishes when he noticed a tone in her voice. He walked towards the door to the kitchen while drying a plate by hand and asked, "Are you alright? You sound a bit off..." Anya knew that she couldn't keep her layoff a secret from anyone, let alone her best friend. She walked towards the kitchen and shook her head. Nathan poured her a glass of water while he started to make tea for them both. "What happened?" Anya looked up from her glass of water and said, "I was laid off today." Nathan dropped the spoon he was putting in the sugar bowl and replied, "What? You have been working there since after we graduated. They can't do that to you!" Anya placed her face in her hands and through the tears that were starting to come again, she managed to say, "They can and they have. The ministry isn't what it once was. It is run solely on politics now. If you aren't of use to them, you have to get out. I was one of fifty to be let go and they don't care." Nathan walked over to where Anya was sitting. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "Everything will be okay. You will find something better and you will be so much happier. I'm here for you, you know?" Anya wiped her tears and turned her head to look at him. "Yeah, I know," she replied. When the tea was ready, they both had a few cups with a few drops of whiskey added, of course and Anya eventually decided that she wanted to go upstairs to take a bath. Maybe a long leisurely soak in the tub would make her feel better. She placed her cup in the sink and headed upstairs for what she was hoping would be a relaxing few hours. </p><p>Anya slipped into a hot bath and closed her eyes as she leaned her head back. After a few moments, a knock came at the door. It was Ginny. As she knocked, she said, "Anya, I heard about what happened. Let me in so we can talk." Anya told her that she was bathing but that didn't stop Ginny from wanting to be there for her. She got out of the tub, wrapped her robe around her body and opened the bathroom door to see a rather bothered Ginny. "Harry told me about the layoffs. I just can't believe they let you go! You have been there for years! Part time, but still!" Anya nodded and walked to her bedroom to get dressed. Ginny sat on her bed while Anya walked into the closet to dress in private. "It is what it is, Gin. I can't do anything about it. I have to go find a new job tomorrow." Ginny looked down at the comforter on the bed and replied, "Maybe you should take some time off... Focus on baking, perhaps?" Anya laughed unusually loudly. "What do you think was funding my baking before, Ginny? Hope?? Determination?? No. There is no way that I can do that. I will blow through my savings too quickly and everything that I make and sell will just be supplementing the next order. There wouldn't be any profit." Ginny said, "We can loan you some money, you know? To help you out...You can pay us back when you are raking in the money!" Anya chuckled and said, "That is very kind of you, Ginny, but I could never ask you to loan me money. I will find another job. I just need to start looking." Ginny smiled weakly and replied, "Perhaps taking a little bit of time off from everything wouldn't hurt though, right? I mean you work more than anyone I know, even Nathan and that man works in his sleep!" Anya nodded. "Perhaps I can take a small break before worrying about getting another job right away. I'll get what orders done that I can and then I will get back to it." Ginny put an arm around Anya's shoulder and said, "I know what you need! You need a girls day out! We should go shopping tomorrow. Perhaps we could stop for lunch and just relax for a bit. It would be nice, right?" Anya nodded and then quickly ushered her sister out of the room so that she could finish dressing in peace. She slid on a flowy top and laid across her bed, closing her eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep. </p><p>What seemed like only moments later, Ginny was knocking on the door once again. Anya opened it to find her sister holding a letter. "An owl just dropped this off for you. Read it!" Anya grabbed the letter, shook her head and shut the door. Sitting on the bed with her legs crossed, she opened the letter. It was from Professor Snape. The letter read:</p><p>"Miss Weasley,<br/>
I will be away and unreachable for a few days. Forgive me. -SS"</p><p>Anya leaned her head back and tossed the letter onto her bedside table. First she gets fired, then her family and friends won't just leave well enough alone and now the one person she knows won't pester her and that she wants to talk to is gone for who knows how long.  She and Snape had started becoming closer since the Christmas party. Their conversations were now more about daily life rather than just being about potions and cooking and Anya was enjoying getting an owl from him once she got home from work everyday. She laid back down in bed and waited to fall back to sleep, ready for the day to be over.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Shopping & Shutting Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape returns!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you guys enjoy this one!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next few days went by slowly and Anya could feel herself slip into a rut. She would wake up and stay in her robe all day, only going downstairs to grab tea and something to nibble on and then she would go right back up to her room. Both Nathan and Ginny would pop in to make sure she was alright and would try to lure her out from time to time, but Anya just wasn't feeling up to it. One morning, she woke up to a commotion downstairs. She jumped up, grabbed her robe and proceeded to go see what all the noise was about. When she reached the bottom stair, she turned to look towards the kitchen where three small children were sitting at the island, banging on the counter, giggling happily. Judging from the fiery red hair, she knew the children belonged to Fred and George. They must have conned Ginny into watching their brood again while they went to work. She turned to head back upstairs but was caught by Nathan before she could slip away. "Hey you! Morning!" She smiled and turned around to see him staring at her a few feet away from the sitting room. "Morning, Nathan. I was just going back to bed..." He jumped up from the couch and said, "Oh no you don't! You have a letter. I didn't want to wake you and I was secretly planning to use it to lure you out of your room, but here it is anyway." He handed her a small envelope. She opened it and immediately felt better. It was from Professor Snape. Wanting to read the letter in privacy, Anya turned to run upstairs with Nathan just a few steps behind her. He managed to slip into her room before she could close the door on him. When she realized she couldn't escape him, she rolled her eyes and flopped down on the bed, only for him to stick his tongue out at her and flop down beside her. Upon reading the note, Anya immediately began to smile. Nathan chuckled and said, "Good note?" Anya nodded. "Good note. He will be at the meeting tonight." Nathan cocked an eyebrow and said, "Well then, maybe you should spruce yourself up a bit, don't you think? We should go out for the day. Maybe do some shopping?" Anya nodded again before replying, "Sure. I could use a pick me up, but I know you have ulterior motives. You just don't want to be here with the children." They both laughed until Nathan managed to say, "I'm sorry. I love them but Fred and George just sorta dropped them off and took off. No warning whatsoever and Harry and Ginny have been playing host to them all morning trying to keep them entertained. It's a damn circus in there!" Anya laughed but completely understood. The twins did forget to ask for a baby sitter often and the family just sort of took turns helping them out when their wives were away. Not to mention that they were literal handfuls and could completely demolish a building when left unattended. Anya looked over at the clock. 9a.m. She glanced over at Nathan who was now reading the note for himself. She took it from him quickly and shooed him out so that she could get ready for the day which held promise of being so much better than the previous few. </p><p>Once showered, dressed and ready for the day, Anya grabbed her purse and met Nathan just outside the front door. The cool March wind nipped at her face and caused her hair to blow about. It was a beautiful day. Blue skies were seen for miles and she and Nathan walked arm in arm down the street of their muggle neighborhood. When they reached a safe place to disapparate, they were gone with a pop, only to turn up in the middle of the commotion of Diagon Alley. Anya took in her surroundings as Nathan pulled her in and out of several shops. They eventually stopped for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron before heading back into the madness. After finishing her butterbeer and her fish and chips, Anya was ready to shop for another few hours. Upon leaving, they both saw Luna Lovegood making her way down the alley from Flourish and Blotts. As always, she seemed as though she was in her own little world, but Anya couldn't help but call out to her. Luna spun around quickly, nearly dropping her books and waved shyly back at the pair. When the three finally reached one another, Luna talked about her father who still worked at the Quibbler, of course, what she had been up to recently since she hadn't been attending meetings and how she and Neville were getting along. After about fifteen minutes, Luna had to run, promising to be at the meeting and thus leaving the pair to their shopping. </p><p>When the two were tired and broke, they decided to call it a day. They still needed to get ready for the meeting after all. This month, it was to be held at Grimmauld Place. Anya knew that she had a lot of baking and setting up to do, but had no idea how she was going to get it done with three tiny tornadoes running about. They walked in the door to see a more than frazzled Ginny. Her hair was slightly messed up and she was calling for the tiniest of the tornadoes while on her hands and knees. Frantic, she enlisted the help of Anya and Nathan to help find the girl. Thirty or so minutes later, Nathan walked downstairs casually as he held the kicking and screaming toddler in the football hold. He calmly handed the child to Ginny and walked into the kitchen to fix everyone some tea, with a few splashes of what one could only assume was whiskey in his. </p><p>Anya was eventually able to start prepping for dinner and she had a good rythym going by herself. She liked to cook barefoot, which in most cases was probably frowned upon, but she didnt care. She was wearing a dark blue sweater dress that hung right above her knee with her curly black hair swept up and out of her face, minus the few ringlets that hung around her ears. Overheating, but too busy to change, Anya continued chopping vegetables, feeling a nice release with every cut she made. Cooking was a great way to release frustration after all. Sweating through the little bit of makeup that she was wearing, her dainty jewelry jingled as she chopped rather large carrots and put them in a roasting pan. Perhaps she was overdressed, but she wanted to look professional, even if she had been laid off. She almost forgot about that during her shopping trip with Nathan until she saw a 'Help Wanted' sign in Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor window. She would bounce back from all of this, she just knew it. She would find another job soon and would feel better. Until then, there were vegetables to behead. </p><p>Molly managed to floo in right around 3 p.m. with baskets of supplies and premade desserts. Arthur, as always, stumbled in behind her. He walked into the kitchen and stood in the doorway watching Anya talk to her mother. When she managed to look up, Arthur held out his arms for a hug. Anya went to him and as she was being hugged, Arthur managed to say, "How are you holding up, dear?" Anya smiled weakly and replied, "I'm fine, dad. Just trying to stay busy." Arthur smiled and hugged her again. He patted her on the shoulder and said, "You will figure it out. You're a Weasley after all. We're very good at bouncing back!" Anya chuckled as Arthur turned to walk out of the kitchen and into the sitting room. She turned to her mother who was currently stirring a pot on the stove. "I have everything under control in here if you would like to go in the sitting room with Dad and relax," she said. Molly shook her head. "Of course not dear! You always help me at the Burrow whenever we have meetings there. I'm not going to leave you in here to cook for Merlin knows how many people alone!" Anya smiled and gladly accepted the help. Her kitchen was not as big as the one at the Burrow, but it was nice to be in the kitchen with her mother doing what she loved, especially after the way the past few days had gone. </p><p>Around 5 p.m., people started to arrive. They came by way of the floo as well as by the front door and disapparating. Some walked in unannounced and some knocked before entering and much like at the Burrow, she was either greeted or ignored, depending on who had shown up. Before long, the house was filled with people laughing and drinking and most importantly, waiting on dinner. Anya was stirring a pot on the stove when she heard someone clear their throat. When she turned she saw him... Professor Snape. He was standing with his arms behind his back, dressed in his usual black and over buttoned "casual wear," if you could call it that. He looked around the room before setting his eyes on her. "Professor...I mean, Severus...Good evening!" She was trying not to beam, but Snape could see right through her. He smiled slightly and replied, "Good evening, Miss Weasley. I brought you something..." Snape placed a bottle of wine on the island and stepped back. Anya took it, read the label and said, "This is marvelous, thank you. I'm sure we will all love it." He looked at her and replied, "Perhaps you should keep it for your own enjoyment, Miss Weasley. It's a rather rare wine after all. I found it while traveling recently." Anya felt like an idiot but managed to say, "Of course...Thank you very much Prof...Severus. This was very kind of you." Snape focused his attention on her before he casually replied, "It is just a token of my gratitude for you graciously accepting someone of my...occupation into your home." Anya smiled for a moment and realized that the gravy on the stove behind her was beginning to boil over. "Forgive me, Professor, I don't mean to be rude, but I suppose I should probably tend to dinner." He looked around the kitchen and heard the laughter from the other room. "Why are you in here alone? There are at least forty people in this house, I'm assuming and yet you are the only one cooking?" Anya shrugged and uneasily smiled at him. "I'm use to it Professor. It is totally fine. Please go relax and have a drink with the others. Dinner should be done soon." Snape nodded and turned to leave the room. A few moments later, Anya heard footsteps leading into the kitchen. She turned to see Snape rolling up his sleeves to mid forearm length. "How can I be of assistance?" Anya stood with her lips slightly parted. She had never been offered help by anyone other than her mother and even then, she had always been expected to pick up the slack and get things done by herself whenever Molly wandered away. She said, "You are a guest. Please go have a drink and relax. I have this under control, I promise." Snape moved closer to her. She could smell his cologne and feel the heat radiating off of his chest. He was maybe a little too close to her, causing her to step backwards. She felt his arm brush against hers as he stirred a pot on the stove while maintaining eye contact with her the whole time. She felt the movement and glanced over to see what he was doing. Looking back at him she said, "Well if that is how you're going to be, grab the roast out of the oven, will you?" Snape smirked and grabbed the oven mits from the hooks by the oven and placed the scorching hot pan on the stove. The duo managed to put everything out on the table. Snape set the table and poured wine while Anya set out the desserts. She made whipped cream and set it to the side while she grabbed a pie from the icebox. Topping it with the cream, she set the pie to the side and helped herself to a few finger licks of what was left in the bowl. Snape walked into the kitchen to find her finger deep in leftover whipped cream. Anya chuckled while licking her finger and offered him the bowl. He smiled after shaking his head but tried it anyway. Snape walked around the island to stand beside her, watching as she quickly frosted a small cake. She felt his eyes on her again and glanced up to see him staring at her once more. The two stared at each other with an air of something unsaid lingering between them. Hearing footsteps, Snape broke eye contact and turned to stir the gravy behind him. Anya grabbed the cake and pie and put them on the buffet hutch behind the dinner table that was very much charmed to fit the large group of people. Everyone was called to dinner and a flood of people stampeded into the dining room.</p><p>Arthur's usual "thank you for coming" speech was followed by bragging about how good of a cook Anya really was and of course, where she learned it all. He even made the comment that even though Anya was now unemployed, perhaps she could make baking and cooking a full time job! Her smile faded once she realized that he had basically told everyone that she was an unemployed drain on society that just so happened to have potential. She looked down at her glass of wine and no one seemed to blink at his comment except for Nathan, Ginny and of course, Snape. She looked back up and noticed that Snape was watching her with a look of confusion on his face. Nathan put his hand on her arm and squeezed. She turned to him and offered a fake smile and everyone began eating soon after. After a few moments, Nathan noticed that one of Fred's daughters began staring at Snape. He nudged Anya and nodded towards the child. Curiously, the little girl stood up in her chair to face Snape. He was amused as she began to conversate with him. She asked him questions and he asked her some as well and it was a rather adorable sight. That was until she saw him reach for his wine glass and noticed the mark on his forearm. The child began to panic and started pulling on Fred and pointing at Snape's arm. She was obviously frightened and Snape tried to apologize as Fred tried his best to usher her out of the room and apologize to Snape at the same time. Embarassed, Snape sat back down and immediately rolled down his sleeves, securely buttoning them at his wrists. He grabbed his wine glass and downed it quickly.</p><p>Once the meal had been eaten and everyone began to retreat back to the sitting room to start the meeting, Anya stayed behind to clear the dishes. She grabbed the cloth napkins and placed them on each plate, then stacked them on top of one another. Once everyone had gone into the other room, Snape slid the door shut and walked up to the table to help clear. "Please don't, Professor. You helped me cook and that is more than enough assistance for one day." Snape continued clearing plates, but soon made his way to her side of the table. He put his hand on the table and watched her. Anya looked at him, slightly annoyed. "Pardon me, Professor." Snape wasn't budging. "Why didn't you tell me that you were fired from the ministry, Anya?" Anya sat the plates down that she was holding and said, "Because I feel bad enough about it as it is and you weren't exactly around to talk to, so here we are." Snape was confused. "So this happened while I was away?" Anya breathed a sigh. "No. It was the day that you sent the owl, actually." Snape closed his eyes and stepped forward. "I am so sorry, Anya." She stepped back a little with her hand raised slightly in front of her and replied, "It's fine. It's no big deal. I will find something else." Snape nodded. "Of course you will. You're bright and talented. I'm sure you will find something soon." Anya glanced towards him and could see the sincerity on his face. They gathered the rest of the plates and placed them by the sink. Anya smiled and thanked him for his help before saying, "Well Professor, I do believe there is a meeting going on without us."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Cleaning Up & Clearing Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The meeting takes an unexpected turn.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope everyone enjoys it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Snape slid open the door to the sitting room, Anya walked slowly and quietly to the other side of the room to sit with Nathan and Ginny while he stayed near the door. Everyone in the room was taking turns sharing what news they had about the movement within the Death Eater community. With nothing really negative to talk about other than a few random experiences, everyone was told to stay on high alert and to warn the others if they see any suspicious activity going on. After an hour or so, the meeting was adjourned and people began to flood back into the dining room for after dinner drinks and dessert. Once everyone was finished, they slowly started to leave and Anya was left to clean everything up, naturally. She did the same as before and placed each cloth napkin on each plate before gathering the plates and shifting them over into a rather large pile. She glanced up occasionally to see her parents in a conversation as well as Snape and Ginny. Molly began seeing people to the door and patting their backs on the way out. Anya always loved how her mother was able to be kind in her way of telling people to get out. She would always smile and with a hand on their back, gently shoo them away and no one ever thought that they were getting the boot. </p><p>After a few minutes, a younger wizard, definitely a few years older than herself but not as old as some of her friends within the order, walked up to her. She knew that she had never seen him before, but for some reason he seemed familiar all the same. Standing only a few feet away from her, he said, "Here, let me help you with that..." as he grabbed the stack of plates from her arms. Before Anya could respond, he had already placed the stack in the kitchen and was back for more. Anya blinked for a second and replied, "Thank you, mister?" The rather strong wizard responded, "Wood. Oliver Wood, ma'am." Anya heard his Scottish accent and could not recall ever hearing his voice over the usual racket during the meetings. She smiled politely and continued with clearing the table. Wood watched her and also began grabbing silverware and wine glasses to take to the kitchen. Anya saw this and said, "Please, Mr. Wood. I have this under control. Surely you have better things to do than clear a table." He laughed lightly and responded, "Not really, honestly. Plus, you cooked an amazing meal, Anya, is it? Someone should help you clear after the effort that you put into all of that." Anya nodded and thanked him before retreating to the kitchen once more to charm the dishes to begin washing themselves. Wood followed her in the kitchen and from a distance, Snape watched the back and forth while trying to appear to hold a conversation with Madam Pince, Hogwart's school librarian. He could see the pair through the doorway of the kitchen and he slowly shifted towards the door. Wood stood in the kitchen asking her questions and helping her wrap up any leftovers from dinner. She didn't mind the company and it was nice to have someone to talk to while she worked. They talked about Hogwarts, Quidditch, the ministry, etc and after a few minutes, he had her laughing as well. Before long it was time for him to leave and he thanked her again for the meal and walked out, passing Snape on the way. He leaned on the door frame for a moment and said,  "Nice conversation?" Anya looked up quickly and smiled. "Yes actually. I like meeting new members. It makes me feel as though we aren't doing all of this in vain. The meetings and such, you know." Snape nodded and moved closer to the island. Just as he began to move closer, Molly came in chatting away and others began trickling in to gossip and talk about the meeting.  Snape stepped backwards, allowing them to enter and walked out when the others engulfed Anya in conversation. </p><p>Before too long, almost all of the attendees were gone and only a few stragglers stayed behind to talk to Arthur and the older members. Anya saw several out the door, much like her mother did and when she turned around after closing the door, a flood of small children ran past her. They were playing with dolls and laughing all while chasing one another. Anya reminded them not to run in the house while they continued to do so anyway and all she could do was smile and shake her head. Snape grabbed his cloak from the rack and said, "Miss Weasley, I wonder if I could have a moment of your time..." Anya nodded before having George's six year old daughter wrap herself around her waist. "Of course, Severus. Just give me a moment to remove this..." She laughed as she tried to walk to get someone else to become the focus of the little girl's attention. Quickly she saw Arthur and told the child that he had candy, which wasn't a lie, after all. She walked back to the foyer to speak with Snape who was quietly standing with his back against the wall. She smiled at him as he turned his attention back to her. "You were saying?" He went to speak again, just to be interrupted once more by Molly shouting over the commotion of kids in the room next to them. He said, "Perhaps we should find somewhere a little more quiet to talk." She nodded and motioned for him to follow her to the small garden in the back of the house. </p><p>The pair stood outside on the stone walkway, barely making eye contact. It was the first time that they were actually alone together and it was quite awkward. The evening air was chilly as winter had not gone completely, leaving Anya to shiver after just a few moments of being outside. Snape saw this and draped his cloak around her. She smiled and thanked him for his kindness. The cloak smelled like him, a mixture of his cologne, peppermint and fire and Anya hugged it against herself while Snape looked around the garden for any stray members who may want to chat. When he verified that they were alone, Anya asked, "Is everything alright, Professor?" He nodded and looked down at his feet, only to slowly shift his eyes up to hers. In that moment, he thought she looked beautiful. Her hair was down and the light from the sun setting gave her a slight gold aura. Her nose was pink from the cold and she had this shyness about her that Snape found enchanting. He smiled as he watched her look around the garden, waiting for him to say something, anything. "I was wondering," he started. "Do you have plans for dinner tomorrow evening?" Anya hesitated, but a small smile crept across her lips. "No, sir, I don't. Not that I am aware of, at least." He let out a small breath before they both heard Molly shouting out the door to them. She waddled outside, rubbing her arms and talking about how they would catch a cold out there. Obviously knowing that they wanted time alone, Ginny ran outside to grab Molly and bring her inside to no avail. "We should probably go inside, Professor. She is relentless after all..." Snape nodded as Anya turned to go back inside. Before she could turn all the way, he caught her hand, spun her around and said, "Have dinner with me tomorrow night..." Anya smiled sweetly at him as he began justifying why she should go out with him. "I know that I am not the best at conversating and I know that I am a bit older than you and quite honestly that does not bother me the way that it does others. I'm aware that my occupation may be an issue for you and I completely understand if you do not want to accompany me, but..." Anya cut him off. "I would love to, Professor. I'll be ready by six. Is that alright?" Snape let out all of the air he was holding waiting for her response. "Perfect," he replied. She smiled at him which he returned immediately. She motioned for him to come inside. He walked behind her as she said, "Just for the record, Professor... You may not be getting your cloak back." He chuckled as he followed her inside, secretly nervous about their dinner plans the next day.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Dinner Dates & Discussions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Date night!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When everyone who did not reside at Grimmauld Place left, Anya went upstairs to shower and relax for the evening. While washing her hair, it dawned on her that she had an actual date planned for the next day. Not just that, but it had been years since she had gone out with anyone for more than a drink. What would she wear? What would they talk about? What if they never spoke again after Snape realized that she was honestly quite boring? The longer she stood in the shower, the more questions popped into her head. She hurried through the rest of her shower, toweled off, wrapped her hair up and reached for her robe. She had to talk to Nathan. She darted to his bedroom door and barged in. He was laying on his bed, reading a magazine and quickly exclaimed, "Ever heard of knocking?" Anya blurted out, "I have a date tomorrow!" With a toss of his magazine, Nathan quickly scurried to the edge of his bed. "You? A date? With whom? Not that Scottish fellow from earlier..." Anya shook her head. Nathan blinked for a moment and said, "Not...you can't mean..." Anya nodded and replied, "Snape." Nathan's eyes widened as he stood up slowly. "What? Are you serious? He doesn't like anyone and I'm sorry but I can't exactly picture him on a date, love." Anya looked down for a moment and said, "Well it's happening, I suppose. What do I wear? What should I talk about? I don't know how to do this! I don't normally do this..." Nathan could see her panicking and he put his hands on her shoulders before saying, "One thing I do know is that you are going to look amazing because I'm going to dress you. You will be fine. You are an amazing person. How could he not absolutely adore you?" Anya smiled but deep down, she was losing her shit. </p><p>The next morning, Anya awoke refreshed. She saw that sometime during the night, Nathan had pulled a dress out of her closet and hung it up in front of her wardrobe, as well as sat out matching shoes on the floor below it. How did he do that without her knowing? She shook her head and got up, put on her fluffy robe and matching slippers and made her way downstairs where she found her housemates making breakfast and laughing. "Morning all," she said while grabbing for a mug. They all greeted her the same way, with a tone of taunting. She rolled her eyes because she knew the jokes were coming. Ginny poured coffee into her mug and said, "So lover girl, what time is your date tonight?" Anya rolled her eyes once more and said, "I'm to be ready by six. It's just dinner, Ginny." Ginny chuckled and put down her mug. "Yes but it's with HIM though. Isn't he a bit old for you? Not to mention his career... Is this safe?" Anya could understand her sister's hesitation and replied, "He is only seven years older than I am, Ginny. He's a potions master for Merlin's sake. It's not a very exciting job from what I hear. I'm assuming you are talking about him being a double agent. I'll be fine. He wouldn't let anything happen to me." Harry turned around from cooking the bacon on the stove and said, "Perhaps we should give him a chance, Gin. I mean if he was going to put her in harms way, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't take her to dinner first." Ginny shook her head and looked out the window. Nathan finally chimed in. "Good point, Harry. He wouldn't shell out for a decent dinner if he wanted to hurt her. He would have just done it by now." Anya couldn't believe what she was hearing. Everyone in that room was suspicious of Snape and it slightly annoyed her. She kept quiet while they ate breakfast and then she went on about her day. </p><p>Early in the afternoon, Anya had received an owl asking for her to create some sweet treats for a birthday party by the mid part of the following week. She gladly accepted the order and sent an owl in return asking for specific details of what they wanted. By 2p.m. she had already accepted three orders and was having a hard time planning out her week. She still needed to find a job, after all. By 4p.m. she was getting ready for her dinner date with Snape. </p><p>Anya sat at her vanity and applied her makeup carefully as to not make herself look too much like a clown. Less is more, she always thought. Make the eyes and lips pop and everything else can speak for its self. By the time she finished her application of eyeliner, Nathan was at the door ready to help with her hair and to squeeze her into a not so comfortable dress. He teased and combed her hair, only for it to become a big stiff puff on the top of her head. Anya pleaded for him to fix it, causing Nathan to pull out his wand to quickly undo the mess he had made. Her long curly black locks started to cascade down her back and with a sigh of relief she said, "That is much better, thank you." He stuck his tongue out at her and stood up from his chair to turn to the wardrobe. He glanced over at the clock and said, "We literally have less than 40 minutes to get you squeezed into this number, get your shoes on and have you downstairs looking fabulously unforgettable in the sitting room before he gets here. Hop to it, missy!" Anya grabbed the dress and walked into her closet for a bit of privacy. She came out a few moments later needing assistance with the zipper. Nathan zipped her up and stepped back to get a look at her. He handed her the shoes and once they were on he said, "You look hot!" She blushed a little and replied, "Really?" He chuckled and turned her around to look into the mirror of her vanity. "Look at yourself, love. You're gorgeous!" Anya turned to get a closer look at herself. The dress Nathan had picked out was a lacy black number with tight long sleeves and it rested just above her knee. Her black stilettos gave her a bit of a boost in height, but she didn't mind as she was relatively short without them. The things were horribly painful, though. Her long black hair laid softly across her shoulders and down her back while her makeup continued to stay in tact, thank Merlin. She always thought that she was attractive but tonight, she felt hot. She smiled as she reached for her dainty silver earrings and necklace. Helping her put the necklace on, Nathan asked, "Are you ready for this? Because you know that if something happens or if you need me, I will be there in a pop." Anya nodded and hugged her friend. "You are such a worry wart, Nathan but I love that about you. I will be fine. I'm nervous though. What if I'm overly boring?" Nathan laughed loudly. "Honey I have known you since we were babies and trust me when I say that you are anything but boring!" She laughed and reached for her small handbag before saying, "Okay then, let's go. It is almost 6p.m."</p><p>Anya held Nathan's arm as she took the stairs one at a time, only for the pair to realize that Snape had already arrived and was standing in the foyer, talking to Ginny. He heard the click of her heels and glanced up only to have his breath catch in his lungs. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. All he could do was watch her descend the stairs and pray that when the time came, he wouldn't make a fool out of himself. Ginny watched him silently. She smirked a bit and glanced up at Nathan who saw his reaction too. Anya was too busy looking down, focusing on not falling or making herself look silly to notice that he was watching her. She finally made it to solid ground and smiled shyly at Snape who was still staring at her. Ginny nodded at Nathan who said, "I hope you two have a grand time tonight. Anya, you know how to reach me." With that, Ginny hooked her arm in his and lead him into the kitchen. Anya slowly turned to look at Snape once more and felt even more self aware the moment they were left alone. "Good evening, Miss Weasley. You look lovely." Snape managed to get out. Anya blushed and smiled sweetly before saying, "Thank you, Professor. I hope that I'm not over dressed." Snape shook his head and said, "You look perfect." She smiled once again and managed to say, "Well I am ready when you are, sir." Snape nodded and turned to open the door, placing a hand on the small of her back to help usher her. Anya felt the heat of his hand and while it surprised her, she didn't mind it at all. </p><p>They disapparated at the safe point near her house and landed just outside of a small Italian restaurant. The front of the building was solid glass and Anya could see the other diners, chatting happily in a well lit room while dishes magically floated through the air, placing food on random plates. She soaked it all in and looked over at Snape who was watching for her reaction. "It looks lovely, Professor. I don't think I have ever had the pleasure of dining here before." Snape sighed with relief and said, "It's one of my favorite restaurants. I come here a few times per month whenever I am tired of the food at the castle. Do you like Italian food? We can go somewhere else if you'd like." Anya shook her head. "Italian food sounds perfect." With that, Snape held his arm out for her to take which she did happily and he lead them inside. </p><p>They were seated at a table by the window, located in the back of the restaurant slightly distant from the other patrons. Snape pulled out her chair before sitting down across from her, talking to the waiter who knew him very well from what she could tell. They were handed menus as well as asked for wine preferences. Snape asked if she would care for a white wine and of course she said yes. She always chose a sweet white wine whenever she went to restaurants. They sat in silence for a moment, scanning their menus before Anya asked, "What do you recommend, Professor? Everything sounds amazing." Snape placed his menu on the table and replied, "Well, I tend to lean towards most fish options so the sea bass is always very good. However, from time to time I also care for some red meat, so their filet is quite good as well. I have only ever seen you pick at your food, so I do not know which direction to point you in. I'm afraid that I don't know much about your eating habits except for your love of chocolate..." Anya blushed a bit. "And how do you know that I love chocolate, sir?" Snape replied without looking up from his menu, "Because that is the only flavored dessert that you ever take after dinner." Anya blushed again, not realizing that he had watched her that closely. She went back to scanning the menu and said, "I do believe that I will have the sea bass. It sounds delightful." Snape glanced at her and nodded, raising his hand slightly before the waiter quickly appeared to take their orders. Once the menus were taken and the wine was poured, silence fell over their table once more. Snape felt the tension and said, "Your friend, he seems...nice." Anya laughed lightly and responded, "Yes he is. Quite over protective though. I'm sorry if you were offended by what he said before we left." Snape gave a low chuckle and said, "On the contrary, Miss Weasley. I am quite happy to know that in my absence, there is someone there willing to protect you as fiercely as I am." Anya took a sip of her wine upon hearing his reply. His forwardness made her uneasy yet she had to admit that she liked it as well. She gathered the courage to ask, "Why is that, Professor? Why do you feel the need to protect me so fiercely as you put it?" Snape placed the glass of wine that he was holding back down on the table and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. "That is a good question, Miss Weasley. One that I am not completely certain I know the answer to." Anya gave him a confused look before he continued, "Suffice it to say, I feel...drawn to you. It is strange, but you have this sort of gravitational pull that I can't escape. I don't want to escape it, honestly." He leaned forward to grab his glass once more as Anya placed hers gingerly on the table. She looked down and fiddled with her hands in her lap, not knowing what to say or how to respond. Snape watched her for a moment before asking, "Have I made you uncomfortable?" To which Anya replied quietly, "A little." Snape nodded slightly, sitting back in his chair once more. "You asked,"  he replied. Anya looked up from her lap. "Yes I did. Thank you for your honesty, Profes...Severus." He nodded once more. Before she could say anything else, the waiter brought out their entrees. Anya looked at her plate and immediately felt ravenous. The fish and vegetables smelled heavily of garlic and herbs and it looked absolutely fantastic. She glanced across the table to see Snape looking at her once more. She smiled at him and said, "This looks divine!" Snape smiled in return and once he placed his napkin in his lap, he began eating. Anya did the same and about a third of the way through enjoying her meal in silence, she decided that it was time for small talk. "So Professor, tell me something about yourself that I don't already know." Snape put his fork down and glanced up at her. "I think you know enough, don't you, Miss Weasley? Perhaps there should be some mystery left in our friendship?" Anya let out a giggle and replied, "There is more than enough mystery in our friendship, Severus. Tell me more about your life... Perhaps something from your childhood or early adult years." Snape realized that she wasn't going to stop asking questions. He quickly finished off the last of the wine in his glass before having the waiter refill it. "Where to begin? Well, I grew up rather poor. My muggle father drank a lot, so he was rarely sober enough to work leaving very little money for food or anything else for that matter. My childhood was not exactly normal, I suppose. I attended Hogwarts, made some friends, made a lot of bad decisions, graduated and vowed never to step foot in my father's home ever again. Now I am a professor and here we are." Anya blinked but remained quiet. Snape asked, "Was that good enough?" Anya nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Snape cocked an eyebrow before replying, "You didn't upset me. Trust me when I say that I live with my past everyday and it always comes up in one way or another. It's only fair to share information with you since your life is very much on display quite often." Anya knew he was talking about the meetings and nodded before reaching for her wine once more. He could tell that he hit a nerve with her unintentionally. She held her glass and stared out the window, watching people walk up and down the sidewalk just outside the restaurant. "I did not mean to offend you," he said to her in a quiet tone. She turned her head to look at him. "No...Of course not. I know what you meant and you're right. My personal life has always been on display. Molly and Arthur...They aren't exactly private people, are they? I suppose you can't be when you have droves of people in and out of your home at any given time." She grabbed her fork and began moving the vegetables around the plate. Snape, feeling the need to make her happy, said, "We should order dessert. Something chocolate, perhaps?" Anya slowly lifted her eyes to focus on him. She smiled as she nodded in agreement. Chocolate always made her feel better. </p><p>The pair continued talking about what little bit they didn't already know about one another well through dessert. Anya placed her fork down on her dessert plate, dabbed her lips with her napkin and smiled when she noticed Snape staring once more. "Are you happy?" She giggled before responding, "Very. Chocolate fixes everything." He smiled and nodded, only for her to respond, "What about you, Professor? Are you happy?" He met her gaze and said, "In this moment, very." Anya blushed as she finished her last sip of wine. He shifted in his seat to grab his wallet. "Are you ready to leave?" Anya nodded and thanked him for dinner. He paid for their meal and they left the restaurant, stopping just outside the door. When Snape stepped outside, he turned to Anya and said, "So...it's not exactly late. Do you want to head home or would you rather visit some of the shops?" Anya looked at her surroundings and asked if he wanted to take a walk. Snape agreed and they walked down the sidewalk side by side, discussing books, life and everything in between. Before they knew it, it was midnight and Anya's feet hurt. Snape knew it was time to call it a night, so they went to a disapparating point and found themselves back at Grimmauld Place in no time. They stood at the front door in shy silence. Anya had her shoes dangling from her fingers and Snape was standing only a few feet away from her. She looked up at him and said, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Professor. I had a really nice time." Snape gave her a small smile and replied, "I thouroughly enjoyed myself as well, Miss Weasley. Thank you for accompanying me. Perhaps we could do this again sometime." Anya smiled once more and suddenly the light on the porch started flickering on and off. Anya couldn't believe what she was seeing and said aloud, "Very smooth, Nathan!" The light then flicked on and stayed that way. Snape let out a small, yet low toned laugh and shook his head. He then said, "I believe your friend is ready for you to go inside. I will not keep you any longer." Anya rolled her eyes slightly and said, "I suppose it is pretty late. Thank you again for a lovely evening, Professor." With that sentence, she closed the gap between them and stretched up on her tip toes to gently kiss him on the cheek. Snape was taken aback by this, but blushed slightly at her touch. She stepped back and smiled at him while opening the door. "Goodnight, Severus," she said before opening the door all the way. "Goodnight, beautiful," he replied before she closed the door. He made sure her door was closed completely and then turned to walk away. Tonight, for the first time in a very long time, he was a happy man.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Poetry & Peculiar Chocolates</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya is invited to have after dinner drinks with Snape.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Anya walked inside, an overly excited Nathan met her at the door. "Smooth move," she said to him slightly annoyed. Nathan smiled and handed her a glass of wine before hooking his arm in hers and leading her into the sitting room. "I'm sorry, love, but you had been gone for hours and you two looked a little too happy out there " Anya shook her head and sat down gratefully. Her feet were so sore, but she had just had an amazing night out. Nathan saw her smiling and said, "Spill it. How did it go?" Anya spent the next thirty minutes telling him as much as she could, stopping to answer his questions. He had several, of course. When she was done dishing, she grabbed her shoes and began to make the trekk upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. </p><p>While Anya was getting ready to relax and turn in for the evening, Snape was just making it back to the castle. He let down the wards of his rooms and set them behind himself as he walked further into his bed chamber. He slowly started unbuttoning his shirt with a small smile upon his face. Not fifteen minutes later, a knock came on his door. He opened it to find Dumbledore standing there in his night robes. "Headmaster, please come in. It's late, what seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his eye and replied, "One of the portraits informed me that you had just come in. Noticing how late it truly was, I wanted to check on you. Are you alright, Severus? Were you called away?" Severus shook his head and replied, "No, sir. I was just out to dinner and now I am back." Dumbledore looked at him over his half moon spectacles and said, "But it is so late, Severus. You just went out to dinner?" Severus looked down and turned away to continue unbuttoning his shirt. "I may have had a dinner companion this evening... What is the problem, Headmaster?" Dumbledore smiled and asked, "Is there any chance that I could get a small drop of brandy, Severus?" Snape obliged and poured his drink as Dumbledore sat on the couch patiently. He then spoke up, "This dinner companion...Was it a female, by any chance?" Snape looked up at the Headmaster who was known to pry into everyone's personal lives, but he seemed more invested in Snape's life than anyone else. "Yes. Is there a problem?" Dumbledore replied, "Of course not, my dear boy. I just wanted to come speak with you. This female companion...Is she someone I know?" Snape nodded slightly, making himself a firewhiskey and sipping it slowly. "Arthur's daughter I presume?" Snape nodded again. Dumbledore tilted his head backwards before replying, "I see. Well, all I can say is for you to remember the cause, Severus." Snape looked at him and said, "So you are down here to remind me not to fall out of line?" Dumbledore chuckled quietly and said, "Of course not, dear boy. I am merely reminding you not to cloud your judgement with unimportant matters at this time. We are in a critical stage of our fight, after all." Snape took a swig of his drink before asking, "What are you afraid of Headmaster? That the girl will somehow take away your most trusted spy? Or is it that I am not allowed to attempt to find happiness outside of my career?" Shifting in his seat, Dumbledore sat forward before he replied, "Of course not, dear boy. I just want you to practice caution in these times. There is a war going on as I am sure that you know. Bringing someone else into your life could potentially be dangerous for them, don't you think, Severus?" Snape sat his empty glass down on the table behind the couch rather forecefully before saying, "I would never let anything happen to her." Dumbledore smiled once again and replied, "Of course you wouldn't, Severus. You are a good man. I am sorry for upsetting you. I shall be on my way. Thank you for the drink, it was most pleasant. Have a nice evening." With that, he went to the door and let himself out. Severus walked closely behind him. He shut the door and lifted the wards once more. Turning to gather the glasses, Snape began thinking about what the headmaster had just said. Was he being reckless by bringing Anya into his personal life? He shook his head and poured another glass of whiskey before changing clothes and slipping into bed. He wasn't going to let Dumbledore ruin his night or his current mood. Before long, Snape turned out the lights and laid in bed thinking about a certain someone before he fell asleep. </p><p>The next day, Anya awoke with a burst of energy. She was happy and she was having a difficult time keeping her happiness to herself. It was Monday and she knew that she needed to be on the lookout for a job so she went downstairs after dressing, grabbed a cup of coffee, cranked out a few loaves of banana bread and scanned the newspaper to see what had been listed in the 'help wanted' section as the loaves cooled. She tapped her wand to each of the ads that she had interest in and they dissapeared one by one, signaling that she had expressed interest and for the business owners to get back in touch with her. Before too long, her housemates began their descent down the stairs, talking in unison about how good it smelled in the house. They all took some banana bread as they left for work. Nathan stayed behind as always. He sat beside her on a stool at the island and would sip his coffee and watch her smile like a giddy school girl. When he had finally had enough, Nathan said, "Oh my lord, you are beaming!" Anya smiled even bigger and went back to reading the paper. Around 12:30, Anya was cleaning the kitchen when a familiar dusty gray owl started to peck at the window. She let him in and gave him a treat before taking the letter he was carrying. The note said:</p><p>'I am currently sitting at my desk, seemingly proctoring an exam, but for some reason I can think of nothing else but this raven haired beauty I had the pleasure of dining with last night. I continue to find myself distracted by her in one way or another throughout the day. I wonder what that means? -SS'</p><p>Anya's smile deepened as she replied to the note:</p><p>'That does sound like a real perdicament for one to find themselves in, Professor. There is only one obvious explanation for it, of course. Mind control. Perhaps you should have yourself looked at just in case those pesky thoughts come back. -AW'</p><p>She sent the letter on with the bird and by the end of the night, it returned with his response. She was settling in for the night when it arrived at her window, pecking loudly. She allowed it entrance and gave it a treat before taking the note. </p><p>'Perhaps you're right. I should probably have myself looked at. Mind control is nothing to laugh at, after all. Maybe you could come help me until then? Say around seven for a drink? I can open the floo system for you. If you are uninterested, I would completely understand. I'm hoping to see you soon. -SS'</p><p>Anya jumped up and looked at the clock. It was 6:30 and she had already gotten comfy for the evening. She rummaged through her closet and slipped on a black and white striped dress. She grabbed a pair of black booties and slid them on as she put her earrings back in and cleaned up the little bit of makeup she had on from the day. She scrunched her hair and fluffed it a bit before looking at herself in the vanity. She cleaned up pretty well if she did say so herself. With a spritz of perfume, Anya went to the fireplace with Snape's letter in hand. She stepped in and said her destination clearly, as to not mistakenly end up elsewhere. Before she knew it, she was standing in another fireplace located in an unusually dark room. The only light she could see was from the fireplace as she stepped out. She called out softly into the cold and damp darkness, "Hello?" She heard a snap and the fire behind her began to roar, causing her to jump. She turned around to see Snape standing in the shadows of the room, leaning against the mantle of the fireplace with a drink in his hand. Anya made eye contact with him and watched as he shifted into the firelight. "Good evening, Miss Weasley," he said rather quietly. "Good evening, Professor," she said in a breathy tone, still slightly rattled by the fireplace. He gestured towards the sofa just across the room and asked, "Would you care to sit down? I am just going to step into the other room to grab another glass." Anya nodded and sat on the heavily worn black leather sofa. He returned quickly and asked her for her drink preference. Of course, Anya chose wine and he brought her a glass of a deep, bold red. He grabbed a tray located on a table across the room and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. It was filled with different chocolate flavored desserts and Anya was thrilled. He saw her smile at the tray and then said, "I thought you would enjoy this. I had some things hand delivered by a chocolatier nearby. I hope you like them." Anya couldn't remember the last time someone did something so nice for her. She smiled sweetly at him as he gestured for her to try something. She gingerly grabbed what looked like an ordinary bon bon. Upon biting into it, the flavor of red chili and dark chocolate filled her senses and she exhaled slowly. It was the most amazing chocolate she had ever had. "This is absolutely magnificent," she said. Snape gave her a rare smile and said, "I'm glad that you enjoy it." He leaned back and watched as she grabbed a napkin, dabbed her mouth and reached for her wine. She looked down into her glass and eventually asked, "How was your day? Did you ever clear your mind of that pesky brunette broad?" Snape let out a low laugh before saying, "No, no. I was never able to remove her from my mind. She plagued my memory all day, making it difficult to do even the most remedial of tasks." Anya let out a tisk tisk before replying, "You know, I have a friend that would say that Gnargles are to blame. You never can tell though, can you?" Snape once again let out a small chuckle and said, "I suppose not. Perhaps I will allow her to cloud my memory for a while. I don't mind thinking about her when I should be doing other things. She provides a nice escape for me." Anya blushed. Snape watched her sip her wine and slowly glance around the room, taking everything in. He sat forward a bit to get her attention and said, "What are you thinking about?" She didn't want to be rude, but she had to ask, "How do you stay down here? It is awfully dark and cold." Snape took a sip of what Amya could only figure was firewhiskey. "I like the solitude, honestly. No one comes down here to bother me while I am working and I have more space than most professors. Plus the lab is located just next door which is convenient when I am working on potions that need to be tended to often." Anya nodded and reached for another chocolate. This one was milk chocolate with a salty caramel middle and it was absolutely divine. "But the temperature down here...Aren't you cold?" Snape looked towards the fireplace and said, "The fires are kept going all night long down here. An elf comes in to tend to them in each room. However, the cold is actually good for some of my potions. Why? Are you cold?" Anya looked at him and replied, "A little."  He stood up and went to tend to the fireplace, bringing a blanket back to the couch with him. He placed it around her and asked, "Better?" "Much. Thank you, Professor." Snape sat down beside her this time, putting his arm over the back of the couch as he grabbed his drink with the other hand before asking, "Why do you still call me that?" Anya put her glass down and leaned back in her seat. "I'm not sure. I suppose it is a sign of respect." Snape took another sip of his drink. "You can still show respect while calling me by my given name, you know?" She turned her head to look at him. As always, he was watching for her reaction. She then said, "You are still very much formal with me as well. I think I have only heard my name leave your lips three times since we have met. The rest of the time you address me as if I am one of your students, which I very much am not if you don't remember." Snape, taken aback by her cheek, replied, "I suppose you are right. We should drop the formalities all together. Let's start over. Hello, my name is Severus." With saying this, he held out his hand as to shake hers. She giggled aloud, placed her glass on the table and turned her body towards him. "Hello, Severus. My name is Anya. It's a pleasure to meet you." She then shook his hand lightly, still all the while giggling. They shook hands and stared at one another for what seemed like a few minutes before either of them broke eye contact. Anya let her hand drop but could still feel the pressure from his even after letting go. Silence fell over them. They sat staring at the fireplace, drinks in hand. After a moment or two, Snape asked, "How was your day? Did you have any orders to fill?" Anya, surprised by the question as no one ever really asks her about her day, quickly said, "No, not today. Tomorrow and Wednesday will be torture though. I have three orders due by Thursday. Today I was just job hunting and getting some spare baking done." He nodded and responded, "So I suppose dinner or drinks are out of the question for the next few days..." Anya smiled shyly. "I'm afraid so, unless you want a flour dusted cream puff sitting on your sleek sofa either of those nights." Snape looked down into his drink before swirling it around. He then quietly said, "I was thinking more like each night, but perhaps you're right. Cream puffs and leather sofas probably don't mix. However, beautiful flour dusted women and leather sofas work quite well together from what I hear. Unless you are too tired at the end of the day, of course. If you do not have the energy..." Anya cut him off before he could finish. "I think that would be lovely." Snape gave her a small smile and looked down, shyly blushing. He reached out and grabbed a chocolate, realizing that she wasn't wrong when she said they were amazing. He leaned back, put his arm over the back of the couch and continued looking into the fireplace, drink in hand. She noticed that he seemed to be more relaxed. Perhaps it was the alcohol or maybe he was just in his element and felt comfortable. Whatever it was, Anya was grateful for it. </p><p>She scanned the room again, taking in the amount of books that he had on the shelves lining the walls. She got up and wandered over to a big bookshelf where she scanned the titles one by one. Snape watched her for a moment before making his way to where she was. Not hearing him come up behind her, Anya jumped when she heard him say, "Find anything of interest?" She turned and giggled lightly. "Forgive me. I wasn't trying to be nosey, you just have so many books. I am amazed by all of them." Snape said, "This room...this isn't all of them. Here. This is one of my favorites." He handed her the book and she flipped through it. "Muggle poetry?" Snape nodded and said, "Come sit. I will read you a few." She took her seat and Snape sat beside her, turning slightly. He began reading and his voice caused every word to sound as though it was dripping with honey. She leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes every so often, taking in the velvety tones of his voice. When he finished, she turned her head and saw him taking her in. She smiled and said, "Your voice is so soothing. Paired with the poetry, I could fall asleep happily." Snape smiled shyly and went to close the book. She reached over and placed her hand on top of his to keep him from closing it. "Please keep reading," she said. Snape nodded and opened the book back up, while Anya removed her hand and listened on. Slowly, Snape put his hand on top of hers. She looked down at their hands and then looked up at him, catching a glimpse of a small smile as he continued to read aloud. </p><p>Before they knew it, it was the morning. They had stayed up talking, holding hands and reading poetry out of several books before falling asleep on the couch together. Anya awoke with her head on Snape's chest, causing him to stir as well when she quickly sat up. She looked up at the clock. 9a.m. "It's morning, Severus! You have class in less than thrity minutes!" Snape jerked his head towards the mantle to look at the time. She hopped up and slid on her shoes while he quickly ran back and forth changing clothes. At one point he was in the room with her, shirtless and all Anya could do was stare and blush. "I don't remember falling asleep," she said to him as she grabbed for her purse. Snape laughed and replied, "I'm pretty sure it happened about ten minutes into the third book." He put on a white button down shirt and walked over to her. He grabbed her hands and asked, "Do you regret it?" Anya replied, "Of course not." He smiled and said, "Good because I feel like I have slept better than I have in a decade at least." Anya giggled and said, "I have to go. I have so much to do today and you have to hurry!" Snape agreed and kissed her hand. "Let's meet here tonight, say around six?" Anya replied, "It's a date." She climbed into the fireplace and Snape watched as she took the floo back to Grimmauld Place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Decisions, Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape has been faced with one of the most difficult decisions he has ever had to make.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya stumbled out of the fireplace in her room, only to hear the sound of distressed voices coming from downstairs. She walked out onto the landing to listen to what was being said. She could hear the panic in Molly's voice when she apparently directed her attention to Nathan. "And you're sure you have checked with everyone? No one has seen her?" Nathan responded quickly, "No one, ma'am. I have reached out to everyone I can think of. No luck." Arthur was raising his voice in the background, yelling into the fireplace to Sirius who apparently reached out after he was contacted. Feeling as though this was a conversation she should probably be part of, Anya made her way down the stairs. The first person to notice her making her way towards the kitchen was Molly. She threw her arms around Anya and shouted, "She's here! Everyone, she's in here!" Anya was more than confused by her reaction, yet hugged her mother back anyway. People started flooding out of the kitchen to hug her and before she could say anything, Arthur asked, "Where have you been, Anya? We were all worried sick!" Anya, still confused by the commotion responded with the best lie that she could come up with. "I went out with a friend last night and it became late so I stayed over at their house. What is going on?" Nathan looked around the room at all of the grim faces and said, "People have been kidnapped, Anya. Our people. No one knows where they are being taken, all we know is that they are gone. We thought you might have been taken, too." Anya sat back and tried to take in what she was just told. "How many are missing?" Arthur looked up from the floor and said, "Two so far. Older members." She shook her head and said, "We will find them. There are several aurors within in the Order. I'm sure they will be found." With that being said, Anya went to the kitchen to make tea for everyone and after a few more hours of talking, everyone that did not live at Grimmauld Place went home, leaving Anya to answer to her sister and Nathan. </p><p>"Where in the hell have you been, Anya?" Ginny was beyond livid with her at the moment. Anya, confused as to why she was being treated like a child, replied, "I told you that I went out. What more do you want?" Nathan chimed in, "How about letting us know that you are leaving?! Perhaps give us an idea of where you are going so we can find you when things go wrong?" Anya nodded but replied, "I understand that you both were worried and perhaps I should have told you that I was leaving, but you forget that I am not a child. Why all of a sudden is everyone worried about me? This hasn't been an issue before." Nathan scoffed at her response. "I have spent basically my entire life looking out for you. Don't you dare say that I do not worry about you. You are the only one lf us that is unattached at the moment. I have Charlie, Ginny has Harry. For all we know, you could have gone shopping and have been swiped without us knowing! Why don't you see this is an issue?" Anya saw the stress in her friend's face. "I suppose because no one has ever treated me this way before." With that, she turned around and went upstairs to shower. She had a busy day ahead of her, after all. </p><p>Once she was showered and ready for the day, she headed downstairs to get to work. Six hours in, Anya was done with one cake and was already working on another. It was quiet in the house, even though the family was at home while she worked. No one bothered her and she preferred it that way. Around 5p.m. she decided to call it a day and tidy up. She got everything put away and set up for the next day's baking session and headed upstairs to get changed for her date with Snape. She changed into a long, dark purple sweater, pulled on some black leggings and slipped into a pair of ballet flats. Before she left, she stopped just outside Nathan's door. She knocked before walking in, just for him to turn around from his desk. It seemed as though he was writing something, a letter perhaps. Anya leaned in the door frame and said, "Severus invited me to tea. I am going to go now. I just wanted to let you know before I leave." Nathan nodded his head at her and replied, "Thank you, love. Just so you know, I didn't mean to get that angry with you earlier. I just..." Anya knew what he was trying to say and told him, "I completely understand that you are worried about me and I appreciate it immensely." She walked towards him and hugged him tightly. He smiled when they broke the hug and said, "I love you, kid. Just remember that. I want what's best for you." Anya smiled and said in return, "I love you, too... Ditto, by the way." They both laughed and Anya went on her way. She had a date to keep. </p><p>When she arrived back in Snape's sitting room, it was cold once more but she could see faint lights flickering across the room. It seemed as though Snape had dinner brought up from the kitchens for the pair and had it sitting on the small table across the room with two lit candles in the middle. Anya's stomach growled quietly as she had not eaten all day and the smell of garlic roasted chicken wafted through the air. She heard a noise in the other room and decided to wander. She poked her head in the butler's pantry to see Snape gathering wine and glasses. She cleared her throat slightly to get his attention as she leaned against the doorframe. Snape turned quickly to find her watching him, causing him to run a hand through his hair with a small smile. "I am running a bit behind today, I'm afraid. I'm sorry, Anya, I didn't hear you floo in." Anya smiled and said, "That is perfectly fine. Is there anything that I can help you with?" Snape shook his head and grabbed the bottle of wine that he was looking for when she arrived. "I have everything now, if you want to head into the sitting room with me. I had the elves bring up dinner for us. I hope you like chicken. I was unsure as to what to ask for but I knew that by the end of the day you and I would be faminshed. So here we are..." Severus had placed his hand on the small of her back while he spoke to guide her to the food. She sat down and inhaled. "I love chicken. It's such a versatile meat. You can do practically anything to it and it will taste divine either way. I'm afraid that I feel a bit under dressed at the moment, though. Forgive me for the muggle clothing..." With that, she looked down at her 80's style sweater hanging off her shoulder, exposing the strap of her undershirt. Her jewelry was still on from the night before and her hair was down. She didn't bother with makeup that day since she was working in the hot kitchen from sun up to practically sun down. Snape sat down across from her and shook his head. "You look lovely, Anya, don't worry. I know it has been a long day for the both of us. Here, let me make you feel a bit more comfortable." He stood to unbutton the first few layers of his robes, only to end up in a white button up shirt with the first few buttons undone. "There. Now we are both more comfortable." Anya smiled as he leaned forward to pour the wine. They both sat and chatted about their day and ate the most delicious chicken that Anya had ever eaten in her life. She eventually told him about her experience when she got home and he began to frown. "How long have these people been missing?" Anya looked up from her plate and said, "Not long. Maybe a day or so. Everyone is on the hunt on our end. Part of me wonders if they were taken or if they just relocated because of what is going on..." Snape agreed and then said, "I will look into it. Do not worry yourself over this too much." Anya nodded and grabbed her wine, looking around the room once more. She glance up at the stone ceiling and a cold chill spread over her. Snape saw this and got up to tend to the fire once again. He then brought back a blanket for her lap. She smiled sweetly and thanked him. Snape sat back in his seat and said, "I'm glad that you could make it this evening. I'm not keeping you from your work, am I?" Anya shook her head as she chewed a small bite. "No, not at all. I finished one order and was working on another just before I came here." He nodded quietly and Anya asked about his day. He went through his struggle of teaching first years basic safety procedures within the lab and then talked about his staff meeting which was incredibly boring from how he explained it. Anya sat and listened to him talk and wondered if he spoke to anyone else like that. She didn't, not really at least. Even with Nathan, she didn't tell him absolutely everything, however it was nice to have someone to talk to about her day and vice versa. She could definitely get use to this. </p><p>Once they were finished with their meal, Snape sent the tray back to the kitchen and reached out to grab Anya's hand. She took his hand as he lead her to the couch where they had coffee and after dinner drinks as well as a few slices of dark chocolate cheesecake. They talked well into the evening and Anya was even able to talk Snape into reading some more of the muggle poetry book that he had the night before. He sat with his arm propped up over the back of the couch as Anya leaned back and laid her head on his shoulder, tucking her feet underneath her. After a while, Snape found himself tracing small circles on her exposed shoulder as he read to her. Eventually, he reached for her hand and they subconsciously began interlocking fingers and lightly tickling each others hand and arm. It was soothing and Anya felt relaxed and comfortable. Just as Snape paused his reading to look at her, a knock came at the door. Anya jumped upon hearing it while Snape leaned forward and turned to look at the door. He excused himself and went to answer it. Before she knew it, she could hear Snape's frustrated voice in the other room. She sat still and waited for him to come back. When he walked back in the room he said, "Anya, I am very sorry. Dumbledore is calling an emergency staff meeting. Please forgive me. You can feel free to stay here if you'd like, but I am unsure as to how long this will take." When he said that, Anya stood up and folded the blanket quickly, draping it over the back of the sofa. "I'll just be going, then," she said as she slipped on her shoes. Snape walked up to her and lightly pushed a small strand of curly hair behind her ear. "Please forgive me. I promise that I will make this up to you." Anya smiled and stepped into the fireplace to floo home. "Thank you for dinner. Good evening, Professor." Snape sighed with a defeated look on his face and said, "Good evening, Miss Weasley." Then with a whoosh, she was gone. </p><p>Snape barged into the Headmaster's office, just to find that he was the only one attending this so called staff meeting. "What is the meaning of this, Headmaster?" Dumbledore responded, "I have been made aware by a few of the house elves that you have had a visitor over night, Severus. Explain yourself." Severus, annoyed and angry that he was no longer able to hold Anya because work got in the way, said, "I don't know what you mean, Headmaster." Dumbledore once again replied, "A house elf tends to your fireplaces in the evenings correct?" Snape nodded and said, "Yes, of course. Just as they do for several others in the castle." Dumbledore stood and walked around his desk to sit on the edge nearest Snape. "A house elf informed me that he found you and a young woman asleep in your sitting room last night." Snape closed his eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nothing happened. We were reading and having after dinner drinks and we both fell asleep. That is it. Forgive me but why do I have to explain myself to you? I am a grown man and those are my private chambers. You can relay a message to the elves that I am no longer in need of their services and will be tending to the fires myself from now on. I cannot believe this lunacy!" Dumbledore cleared his throat before replying, "They may be your private chambers, but you are still a member of staff at this school. It is unprofessional to have a female in your quarters after hours and I should not have to remind you that elves are not exactly the most discreet of creatures. You have no idea who they have told thus far. I beleive it is for the best to seal the floo system leading to Grimmauld Place at once. Your focus should be on teaching and what is truly important. Certainly a girl is not worth you wandering off the path you have created for yourself over the last decade, am I correct?" Snape looked up only to say, "This one is." Dumbledore sighed before replying, "She is not worth you becoming reckless, Severus. You have responsibilities to this school and your loyalty to me is more important than having a companion. Seal the floo. Do your job. Leave the girl alone." Snape could feel the anger inside himself bubble up to the surface and had finally had enough. He exclaimed, "You will not treat me as if I am a child! If I choose to not live a life completely saturated in loneliness, that is not of your concern. For months I have continued to do my job and STILL serve two masters successfully while maintaining a relationship with her. You will not take this bit of happiness away from me, Dumbledore. You cannot be this cruel." Dumbledore stood and walked back around to sit in his chair. He sighed, removed his half moon glasses and placed them on the desk before rubbing his eyes in frustration. "I only want what is best for you, Severus. This is the wrong time to have a personal relationship with anyone. They can quickly become a liabiltiy and be used as a weapon against you. You know that you are putting her in harms way even if you do not mean to. Even you can only do so much. I implore you to see reason. Do the right thing and put this on hold until everything blows over. Once it is all over, you have my blessing to move on away from this place and away from me if that would make you happy. Severus, please. We need your help and if you are distracted, I am afraid that you will get hurt. Just think about what I have said." Snape stormed out and went on night patrol. He needed to clear his head.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Longing & Leaving</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape takes some time to reflect while Anya submerges herself in her work.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Walking the grounds at night always seemed to help Snape clear his head. Sure he was currently missing out on some much needed rest, but he wasn't the least bit tired this evening. He wanted to be with Anya, to feel her soft skin under his fingers again, to smell her floral perfume and to feel her body warmth against him when they sat in front of the fireplace reading together. Why couldn't Dumbledore just leave well enough alone? He tried his best to calm down and forget what Dumbledore had said to him only moments ago. However, the more he thought about how much he needed to forget it and move on, the angrier he became. How could the Headmaster expect him to turn Anya away? The two men had been through so much together over the years and yet Dumbledore didn't seem to care if Snape was truly happy or not. His main concern was always what he referred to as the "greater good." Dumbledore, though a great wizard, was not exactly one to fully understand matters of the heart, neither did he realize that the path to the greater good was ultimately paved with sacrifice and broken hearts. Snape's was no exception, apparently. He continued his rounds and when he was done, he headed back to his chambers. </p><p>Upon entering the sitting room, he grabbed a glass and poured himself a hearty shot of firewhiskey. He sat down on the sofa, taking large gulps of the brown liquid, pondering what he was going to do next. Obviously he was not giving up on what he and Anya had built together thus far, however Dumbledore wasn't exactly known for going easy on those that defied him. It was now just after midnight and all Snape could think about was the dissapointed look on Anya's face before she left and how he needed to tell her what was going on but it was late and he knew that she needed her rest. Wrestling with his thoughts, Snape decided to let her sleep and he would figure it all out in the morning. </p><p>Anya returned to her room, deciding to check in with Nathan before she went to sleep. She went to his room and peeked her head in. He was still writing at his desk but turned when he heard the door open. Anya walked in and sat on the edge of his bed, slightly sulking. Nathan asked, "What's going on, hun? You're back pretty early, eh?" Anya nodded and said, "He was called for an emergency staff meeting so I left. So here I am." Nathan chuckled and walked over to sit beside her. "You really like him, huh?" He nudged her as she slowly smiled and began to blush. "I really do. He is different than anyone that I have ever met before. Very much the intellectual type. Quiet and reserved, but not with me. It's funny... He has this outward persona of lacking emotion, yet with me, he can talk for hours on end with passion. It's easy, you know? To talk to him..." Nathan smiled and patted his friend on the leg before saying, "That's how it's suppose to be when you love someone. Easy. There are no fronts to put up or walls to tear down. You just...are with one another, you know? You can just be and that is enough. I am jealous of you, dear. You have a good thing going." Anya never thought about that word, love. She knew that she had never experienced the feeling of being in love with anyone before and wouldn't know what it felt like, even if there was a large sign over someone's forehead telling her that she was indeed in love with them. She then thought about what her friend said. "You have Charlie, though. That is enough, right?" Nathan looked down at his hands and said, "Charlie only worries about Charlie and his dragons. I am not currently on his list of important things. I never have been, really. I suppose I was so in love with him that I was willing to overlook when he was ignoring me but now... Now I am tired of being ignored. I miss him dearly and do care for him deeply, but he isn't here. He is never here. He should be here, Anya. He should be in the Order. He should be worried about what is going on here at home, not in Romania playing with reptiles all day long." Anya could see the tears forming in his eyes and hugged him tightly. He cried for a few moments as she rubbed and patted his back. Eventually they made their way downstairs to make tea and eat cake, because that is what you do when you love someone and have to let them go. </p><p>The morning came quickly after the pair finally fell asleep and Anya awoke to the sound of pecking at her window. She hopped up, opened the window and allowed the bird to enter. She fed him a small treat from her desk drawer and grabbed the letter he was carrying. The note said:</p><p>'Forgive me for having to cut our evening short. I would like to make it up to you Friday evening if you are interested. Perhaps we could have dinner and do some shopping? I'm in the market for a few more muggle poetry books. Also, the floo system is down here so it seems as though owls are our only means of communication for the moment. However, if there is an emergency, you can still call for me via the fireplace. I hope to hear from you soon. -SS'</p><p>Anya sat at her desk and began to write him a letter in return. She wrote:</p><p>'Alll is forgiven, of course. You couldn't predict being called away. Dinner Friday sounds lovely and I will be ready by six o'clock if that works for you. Funny thing, the floo system. It can be so fickle sometimes... Sending owls works for me as I have a ton of baking to get done this week. Just over night, I received three more orders, so I will be a very busy bee for the next few days. I hope all is well. -AW'</p><p>She sent her letter with the owl and watched it fly in the direction of the early morning sunrise. Checking the time, Anya got dressed and started her day. With all of those orders flooding in, she had to start baking early in the morning to guarantee that she would be able to go to sleep at a decent hour in the evenings. Then she would wake up before sunrise the following morning  just to do it all over again. It was definitely going to be a long week and Anya couldn't wait for Friday to come. </p><p>Each day, Anya and Snape would send owls to one another, checking in and letting the other know that they were thinking about them. Before she knew it, it was Friday and even though she had baking to do, she was going to cut her day short so that she could get ready for her date. By 3p.m. Anya was showering and by 5p.m. she was sitting on the couch in her forest green knee length lacy strapless dress and black heels. Her hair was partially swept up and she wore small gold diamond studs with a matching necklace. Her makeup was perfect as she had Nathan help her this time. She added a bit of color to her top eyelids this time and hoped that she didn't look silly. A few minutes before six, the doorbell rang. Nathan got up from the sofa to grab the door with Anya following close behind him. Snape walked in the front door and asked Nathan how he was before realizing that Anya was right behind him. He stopped mid sentence after Nathan asked him about his day, only to stare at Anya who would shyly look down at the floor and then back up at him. "You look absolutely stunning." Anya blushed and replied, "Thank you, Severus." He continued to stare at her longer than he normally would, causing Nathan to get the hint that it was time for him to walk away. He kissed Anya on the temple and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen after bidding them a good night. Snape reached out for her hand and spun her around slowly, admiring her beauty. Anya giggled as she spun into him slowly, allowing him to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her close to him. He brushed a stray curl behind her ear and said, "How did I get so lucky? Look at you..." Anya blushed once more as she smiled up at him sweetly. She was thinking the very same thing. </p><p>Just as the two went towards the door to begin their date, Snape growled out in pain and clutched his forearm. He stepped away from Anya, turning his back to her to unbutton his sleeve. He saw a very active dark mark moving about on his arm as he growled again in seering pain. "I have to go, I'm sorry," Snape said as he made his way to the door. "I will owl you when I am able to." Anya tried to speak but before she could say anything, he took off out the front door. She stood in the foyer dumbstruck and turned to see Nathan standing in the hallway looking at her. He saw what happened and he wasn't happy about it, but he thought for once that he should probably not say anything because he knew that she felt terrible. He walked up to her, grabbed her hand and lead her to the kitchen for some cake. She needed it.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Return</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape is called away...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snape disapparated as soon as he hit the safe point, arriving just outside the wards of a dilapidated old house. He walked hastily up the pebble driveway, only to arrive in front of a heavy wooden door. He pushed it open, walking briskly through the unkempt foyer and up a flight of rocky stairs, rubbing his forearm briefly before pushing open yet another heavy wooden door, leading into a large room with a long table full of people. A roaring fire could be seen at the opposite side of the room being tended to by a rather old house elf. As he walked into the room, fifteen sets of eyes focused on him and everyone became quiet. He sat down in the only open seat, conveniently located towards the front of the table. Once seated, he turned his attention to the person sitting at the head of the table. </p><p>Sitting eerily calmly at the head of the table was none other than the Dark Lord himself. He glanced up slowly and with a disturbing smile, said, "Ah Severus... I wondered if we would be seeing you this evening. I know how busy that blood traitor Dumbledore keeps you these days..." Snape bowed his head slightly and responded, "I do try my best to attend as many meetings as possible, my lord. I'm afraid Dumbledore seems to be rather suspicious of my actions as of late and per your request, I have been doing everything within my power to maintain his trust, hence my absence. Forgive me, my lord." Voldemort sighed quietly before rising from the table and walking around the room. He finally stopped to stand behind a witch with disheveled hair and clothing. Placing his hands on her shoulders he said, "Now that we are all here, perhaps someone has information on this uprising that I keep hearing so much about?" A scruffy wizard named Dolohov sat at the opposite end of the table and quietly rose from his seat to say, "I have heard some things, my lord. In fact, several months ago I was involved in an attack on members of an organization standing in our way." Voldemort slowly made his way closer to the man before responding, "Tell me more Dolohov..." He cleared his throat before continuing, "You see, my lord, I heard tale of an organization in the country that have been meeting together, plotting against us. A few of our followers and I showed up at one of their meetings to dissolve their group. I haven't heard anything else out of them since." Leaning his head back and cackling wickedly, Voldemort reached his bony, pale hand out to Dolohov who quickly took it, bowing before him. "See here everyone! This man is a true follower of our cause! Tell me, Dolohov... Where was this organization meeting?" He quickly responded, "Not even fifteen miles from here, my lord." Voldemort nodded slowly before saying, "And you never went back to check to see if they no longer congregate, you said?" Dolohov saw where this conversation was going and tried to make an excuse for himself. "My lord, the informant that I have has said that they no longer meet there... We thought it would be a waste of time to go back." Nodding once more, Voldemort said, "Of course, I understand. We wouldn't want to waste your time, would we? However, I wonder... Did it ever occur to you that they may have moved their meetings else where?" Once the words escaped his lips, Snape felt a pang of fear for the first time in years. He couldn't let Voldemort find out any more about the Order or their meetings and he most definitely could not allow him to find out about Anya. Dolohov backed away slowly and said, "Please, my lord. My informant has infiltrated the group. They call themselves "The Order of the Phoenix". They say that they no longer meet because of the attack. I will go back if that is what you require of me. Please forgive my ignorance..." With his last words came a curse, striking him directly in the chest, causing him to sink to the floor, writhing in agony. Voldemort placed his wand on the table before saying, "Severus!" Snape rose quickly. "Yes, my lord?" "Because you are already in Dumbledore's good graces, perhaps you can persuade him to tell you about this Order of the Phoenix. I'm sure he has his hands in this. It has his stench all over it. I need you to infiltrate their group and report back to me with every movement they make. Can you do this?" Snape said, "Of course, my lord. I will not disappoint you." Voldemort gave him a sadistic smile before saying, "Be sure that you don't as I cannot gaurantee that you will be as lucky as Dolohov if you do." Snape glanced down at Dolohov who was now screaming in pain on the floor before Voldemort's feet. The meeting was adjourned and the Dark Lord yelled for someone to remove Dolohov from his sight. Snape quickly stormed out without stopping to conversate further with anyone until he heard a voice call out to him. Before he could make an excuse to get away, Voldemort called him into a rather large sitting room for a private conference to probe his mind and pry for information he may not have been sharing earlier. By the time the Dark Lord was done with him, it was morning and Snape could barely stand, but he managed to stumble his way out of the house and disapparate just outside the front door. He had to find Anya, apologize to her and find a way to guarantee her safety.</p><p>The following morning, Anya awoke feeling as though she hadn't slept in years. She looked over to the window and noticed that it was extremely dreary outside. The sky was gray and she could see rain drops rolling off of the windows. 'Delivering those orders in the rain is going to be fun,' she thought sarcastically to herself. She went to the loo to do her morning routine and then got dressed for the day. Heading downstairs she realized that no one else was awake. She made a pot of coffee and sat at the island, planning out her day from start to finish. After a while, Harry walked into the kitchen to find her deep in thought and asked, "How's it going, Anya? Did your date go well last night?" Anya told him what happened and he immediately became concerned. "This isn't good, Anya. If he is being called away, obviously You Know Who is planning something. Hell, he is always planning something. We need to be on high alert and I will let the other aurors in my office know what's going on. Until we can figure out what he is up to, just be careful and cautious." Anya nodded and he left for work, leaving her alone once again. She looked around and wished Ginny was there to talk to since she hadn't seen her much lately. Unfortunately Ginny had Quidditch practice that morning and left before dawn. Anya found herself starting to feel rather lonely in that moment. Noticing how fast time had flown by, Anya decided to start her deliveries. It was going to be a long day, she could feel it. </p><p>Wandering aimlessly through Diagon Alley, looking for the robe shop that ordered a rather large batch of cookies from her, Anya felt as though she was being watched. She looked around and when she didn't see anyone of interest, she turned back around to continue her search. Finally finding it, she traded product for payment and went on her way. Making her way only a few stores up the street, an arm snaked around her waist to grab her from behind and a hand was placed over her mouth. She was pulled into an alleyway right behind the local joke shop while she kicked and screamed into the hand over her mouth. Anya tried to fight the person off, but it was no use. They were too strong and she didn't have the strength to get herself out of this. Before long, she heard a familiar voice in her ear saying, "It's just me, Anya. Calm down." It was Snape. He released her and she turned to look him in the eyes. How dare he scare her like that! She fully intended to be upset with him but noticed that not only did he look exhausted, but she could see bruising on his left cheekbone and blood coming from his bottom lip. He grabbed her hands to turn her towards him before rather angrily continuing, "Where have you been? I have been looking for you for hours. You weren't at home. You weren't at the Burrow and Nathan had no idea where you had gone. Why didn't you tell anyone that you were leaving? Didn't we just have this conversation recently? You have to tell someone where you are going before you leave!" Anya's back was now against the wall as she pulled her hands aways from him and replied, "You're one to talk! You don't tell me anything! I didn't get as much as a goobye from you last night before you took off!" Snape sighed in an aggravated tone and pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "You knew exactly where I was going! I had to go! I don't have any options here, Anya! I cannot pick and choose what I do. It is high time you know that. I have no choices. My life is not my own... It hasn't been for well over a decade." Anya, confused but still angry said, "What does that mean? And what happened to your face?" Snape pinched the bridge of his nose once more and squeezed his eyes shut before saying, "Never mind all that. We have a problem. Your family, they need to be summoned. Things are happening beyond my control and everyone needs to hear this. Let's go." He grabbed her hand and they apparated straight to Grimmauld Place. </p><p>Within the hour, every Weasley family member available had flooded into the house as well as a handful of trusted Order members. Snape called everyone's attention and proceeded to tell them what happened earlier in the day. He told them about Voldemort and his plans to create a society of only pure blood wizards and revealed that there was a mole within the Order. Arthur walked up to Snape who was standing in front of the fireplace and said, "You have no leads as to who the mole could be?" Snape replied, "None whatsoever. I was given very little information on the matter but I do know that is it someone that has not been at a meeting since the attack on the Burrow." Suddenly, the fireplace roared with green flames and Dumbledore stepped out with a concerned look on his face before saying, "Severus, what is going on?" Severus gave him a brief version of the story before the room got quiet. Anya, who was standing in the corner of the room alongside several other wizards piped up. "What do we do now?" Harry looked up from an upset Ginny said, "We need to watch our backs. I say we go about life as normal but stay on high alert and if something happens, alert the Order and go from there." Fred, standing just outside the door to the kitchen replied, "That's great and all, mate, but he just said there's a rat among us and we don't know who it is. We can't exactly go about things as normal, can we?" Before long, the room was filled with arguing and no one could get a word in without someone else yelling. Fights broke out, causing pure chaos. Anya became pinned in the corner as two men began to brawl in front of her. Snape pushed through the sea of arguments and fist fights to rescue her, pulling her into him and pushing through the madness once more. Snape deposited her beside Fred in front of the kitchen before going back to the front of the room with Dumbledore. Realizing that the arguing wasn't going to stop on it's own, Dumbledore boomed, "QUIET!" This caused the sea of people to sit down and close their mouths. When the room became silent, he said, "This is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves. We must support one another and stay strong. I agree with Harry, however I do believe that we need to raise security levels a bit and provide protection to those that need it most." Snape looked straight at Anya in that moment and Dumbledore saw this, adding, "We should also not be reckless. Do not do anything to cause attention to yourself while you are in public." A sea of nods could be seen and Dumbledore said, "Now, I'm sure that tea will be served soon, correct?" With that, Molly grabbed Anya's hand and lead her into the kitchen. When he saw this, Snape turned to follow her, but Dumbledoor held out his hand to stop him. "What did he see, Severus?" Snape shook his head before saying, "Nothing. I was able to block him from my thoughts of her as I told you that I would be able to." A slight sigh crossed Dumbledore's lips before he said, "You were lucky this time, Severus. I'm begging you to leave her alone. This is not the time to be selfish." Snape walked a few feet away from him before saying, "Perhaps you're right, Headmaster but I cannot stay away from her. Call me selfish or reckless, but I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. I love her." Dumbledore sighed once more before saying, "You have no idea what love is, Severus." Snape looked down at the floor for a moment and then back up to Dumbledore. "It's her, Headmaster. It has always been her." With that, Severus walked away. </p><p>Snape found Anya slicing lemons in the kitchen alone. He stood behind her and slowly reached his arms around her. She put a hand on top of his and turned around in his arms with her back to the cutting board. She reached up and lightly touched his cheek. Her fingers lightly grasped his chin, turning his face so she could inspect it. "What happened, Severus?" He shook his head and said, "It is fine. I will take a potion this evening and will be good as new in the morning. Don't worry." Anya looked up at him with misty eyes and said, "I'm frightened." Snape's expression softened as he touched her face, wiping away a stray tear. "Do not be frightened. There is nothing to worry about at the present time. I will let you know when you need to worry, alright?" Anya nodded, wiping away a few tears that had fallen. Snape hugged her, before Fred walked in the room. He cleared his throat and said, "So it seems like we need a new meeting place. What are we going to do now?" Snape responded, "Not meet again until we can pinpoint the spy. I will handle it." Fred nodded and gave a small bow before leaving the room once more. Anya turned to finish slicing the lemons and placed them on a tray along with milk, sugar and biscuits. She used her magic to send the tray into the sitting room and Severus grabbed her hands once more. "We should have dinner tonight. Somewhere no one that we know really knows about. What do you think? I need to make it up to you for darting off last night and for the way that I spoke to you earlier." Anya smiled and replied, "I know just the place." Snape cocked an eyebrow before saying, "You do? Lets hear it then..." She smiled and said, "You're looking at it. I'll make dinner and we can relax here tonight if that's alright?" Severus couldn't think of a more perfect offer and agreed as long as she allowed him to wash the dishes.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Unknowns & Changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's getting good!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Forgive me for the lack of posting. The holidays mixed with the events of daily life has put me behind a good bit. I hope to get back into the swing of things now that the craziness of the holidays has passed. I can't guarantee a chapter everyday as I posted before, but I promise to do my best. </p><p>Thank you all for reading my work. I appreciate the kind comments that have been left and I hope that you all continue to enjoy what I am able to upload.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya puttered around the kitchen, wiping flour from the counters and washing up the few dishes that were left in the sink. Bubbles floated around her as she began to zone out, lost in thought over the small gathering that took place only a few short weeks ago. There she learned that the Dark Lord was very much alive and obviously that meant that the Order was in for a fight, there was just no telling when it would take place. She thought about what Harry said that night and wondered if life could ever really go on as normal. As of now, things were as different as they had ever been. Harry spent most days and evenings at the ministry while Ginny stayed home more often which was completely out of the norm for her. She always wanted to be on the Quidditch pitch, but lately she could be found at home or at the Burrow, helping Molly look after all of the grandchildren. Nathan went back to work as an auror in hopes of gaining more knowledge on what was happening within the ministry. He was rarely seen and when he arrived home in the evenings, he would pop his head in Anya's room before heading to bed, giving her all of the updates that he could. </p><p>In all of the hustle and bustle of craziness that was going on, there stood Anya, doing exactly what she did most days: baking, cleaning up and thinking about what the future might hold for everyone in their world. The future... It was strange to think about as she was never one to think about such things before. She saw herself as the 'live in the moment' type but now, she found herself wondering what would lie ahead for her and her family. Family... Shaking her head and scrubbing the last few dishes, she rinsed her hands and began putting her baking supplies away.</p><p>While icing a multi tiered cake, Anya heard a slight tapping at the window just above the sink. She turned to see a petite brown owl perched on the window sill, waiting to be let in. She opened the window and it hopped onto the counter, chirping and flapping its wings. She noticed a letter attached to its leg and took it carefully. Grabbing a treat from the drawer next to her, she patted the owl on the head and watched as the small bird flew out the window and towards the horizon. Before she could see who the letter was addressed to, it was quickly snatched from her hands. Anya turned to see Ginny slowly opening the letter. "What's all that about, Gin?" Ginny shurgged. "I've just been waiting all day for that blasted bird to show up. Took him long enough!" Ginny opened the letter and slowly sat down and laid her head on the counter. Anya moved slowly towards her. "Are you okay, Gin?" Ginny shook her head. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Once more she shook her head. Anya leaned forward on her elbows before saying, "You know you can tell me anything, right? I'm here for you if you need me..." Silence was heard for a moment before Ginny slowly held the letter up for Anya to read. She took it hesitantly and read it to herself. With a look of awe, Anya said, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have gone with you!" Ginny raised her head from the counter and looked up with tears in her eyes. "Because I didn't want anyone to know. I had a suspicion but I needed to verify it and here we are." Anya, already knowing the answer, asked, "Are you excited?" Ginny shook her head and said, "How can I be, Anya? This wasn't part of the plan! This isn't exactly the time to be jumping for joy and it definitely isn't the right time for it to happen." Anya chuckled. "There isn't ever exactly a right time to have children, Ginny. Sometimes you have to just go with it. Hasn't mum always told us that parenting is basically just winging it?" Ginny sniffled for a moment before giving a small smile. "How am I going to tell Harry about this, Anya? I'm afraid he will be livid. This is not the right time..." Anya walked towards her sister and hugged her briefly before saying, "Harry will be fine. You will be fine. This is a happy time. Tell him when you are ready but don't wait too long. I'm here for you if you need me." With a bigger smile, Ginny stood up and thanked Anya before grabbing the letter and walking upstairs slowly. Anya went back to her work while falling back into her thoughts from before, now with the addition of a new Weasley baby in the forefront of her mind. </p><p>Snape sat at his desk grading papers while a few lingering students finished their exams at the back of the classroom. The room was silent except for the quiet scratching noise of quills. He placed his own quill on top of the stack of papers that he was currently  picking apart and leaned back in his chair. Folding his arms, he stared out the nearest window and thought about the road ahead. He thought about the past decade and how he was constantly having to be on his toes. He longed for freedom, for the ability to make his own decisions without fear of being found out. He shook his head before turning back to grade some more. It was silly to think of such things, especially with a war brewing. He did get himself into this, after all. As he was marking a question about the direction in which to stir the draught of peace wrong, the face of a certain fiesty, curly haired witch popped in his head. He had been trying to not think about her constantly, as if he had a choice in the matter, just in case he was called upon by the Dark Lord and he somehow faltered in his attempts to block his thoughts of her from him. However, he knew it was impossible. He thought about her everyday, sometimes all day long. He would send her owls once or twice per day to check in while he had to be at the castle, but the letters just weren't enough for him. He wanted to see her. He needed to see her...to smell her perfume, feel her soft hair graze against his face whenever they were close. Before he knew it, he was writing her another letter and sent it with his owl that sat perched just beside the table of spare cauldrons. </p><p>Once all of her creations had been delivered, Anya arrived home to find an overly emotional Harry and Ginny celebrating the news. She watched as the pair cried and hugged, causing her to tear up. Suddenly, she felt a slight pulling sensation while watching the pair interact. It was the strangest of feelings. She was unbelieveably happy for her sister and Harry, but deep down there was something nudging at her. She couldn't figure out what it was, but she knew something was off. She quickly and quietly went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up her mess. Once finished she made her way upstairs to find another owl sitting just outside the window. She immediately noticed that it was Snape's owl and rushed to the window. She grabbed the note, patted the creature on the head and gave him a treat before laying across the bed to read her letter. It read:</p><p>'I have found myself unable to focus today... Visions of you continue to weave in and out of my mind and I have found that I miss you more than I ever thought that I could miss anyone. I want to see you. I was able to reactivate the floo system if you would like to visit my quarters, if not then perhaps we could meet during the week? Perhaps I could visit you this weekend? I hope to hear from you soon. Did I mention that I miss you? -S'</p><p>Anya jumped up from the bed and gave the owl one last treat before sending him on his way. She went to her mirror and realized that she was a mess. With a wave of her wand, her flour dusted clothes were changed and she quickly began fixing her hair and applying a small amount of lip gloss. When she felt that she looked decent enough, she took the floo to Snape's quarters. Upon exiting the fireplace, Anya could hear raised voices in the next room. It was Snape and another male arguing, about what she did not know. Slowly she made her way to the wall opposite the fireplace and made sure to stay perfectly still. She heard Snape say, "Perhaps you were unaware, but I am doing you a favor. You should be thanking Anya as she is the only reason why I am helping you." The voice piped up, "Yes, of course. Someone told me that you were seeing one another. Tell me, how is that going? Is she a fan of your little side job or have you left that bit out?" Snape stood quickly and Anya could hear the chair screech against the floor as he rose. "Do not insert yourself into my personal life, Lupin." Lupin? It was Remus! Anya had completely forgotten that he was brought on as a professor earlier in the year. That was why she had not seen him nor Tonks in so long. She had seen the baby twice since he was born, but they were always on the go, especially when it was around the time of Remus' transformation. Anya listened on. Lupin responded, "You know that she is like family to me, Snape. Forgive me, but you are quite a bit older than her and no offense, but you are not the most savory of characters. What is it that she sees in you, I wonder?" Snape, still standing, pointed to the door. "Leave, Lupin. Family or not, I will not stand by and let you pick apart the last bit of happiness I have left. You will have your potion by weeks end, now go." Lupin nodded and turned to leave. When she heard the door close and Snape sit back down in his chair, Anya slowly tiptoed into the room. She saw Snape covering his eyes with his hand, rubbing his temples firmly. When he heard her footsteps, he glanced towards her. Pushing his chair back quickly, he rushed over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. He could smell her floral perfume and the softness of her hair against his skin was like Heaven. He released her long enough to say, "I am so glad to see you. How much of that did you hear?" Anya looked down for a moment. "Pretty much just the heated bit." Snape sighed. He wrapped his arm around her waist and ushered her into the sitting room where he made drinks for them both and they cuddled up together on the worn leather sofa in front of the fireplace. Anya sipped her wine and asked, "So... What was that about?" Snape shook his head. "Suffice it to say, Dumbledore requested for me to make the Wolfsbane potion for Lupin during his stay here. Obviously I am in no mood to please Dumbledore, so I only agreed to help him because I know that he is important to you. He apparently stopped by to verify that I would make it every month. How the conversation got to where it ended, I am unsure. However, his questioning of our relationship is uncalled for. I will not defend myself to anyone." Anya nodded and looked into her glass. He watched her and asked, "What are you thinking about?" Anya looked up at him slowly and quietly asked, "Will it always be this way? The questioning, the frustration, the lack of seeing one another?" Snape stared at her for a moment before grabbing her glass and placing it on the table in front of them. Holding both of her hands in his own, Snape looked at her with determination in his eyes and said, "Please look at me..." Anya complied as he began again. "I promise you that things will not be like this forever. Do you believe me?" Anya remained still and quiet. Snape tightened his grip on her hands once more before asking, "What did I tell you the day after the attack on the Burrow? I told you that I would not let anything bad happen to you. That is what I am trying to do now. I know that it's frustrating and believe me when I say that being away from you is one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do, but it is for the best right now. With so many unknowns in the future, it is best to keep things as quiet as possible. I do not want the Dark Lord finding out about you. I'm trying to keep you safe. Don't you see that?" Anya gave him a small nod. Snape sighed before saying, "I know that you deserve better than what I can give you right now. If you want to go back to the way things were before we became so close, then I would do that for you, but you have to know that I will never stop protecting you. I will always be here, even when you have moved on." Anya watched the lines in Snape's face deepen as he became more and more serious each time that he spoke. She knew that he meant every word and she placed her forefinger lightly on his lips. She smiled as she noticed those lines in his face begin to relax. Anya turned her back to him and leaned back so that he could wrap his arms around her. After a moment, she turned her face up to him and before she could say anything, his lips found hers, softly at first and then after a moment, the kiss depened. Before she knew it, she had straddled his lap and they continued to kiss until he broke away to stare up at her. "I love you," he breathed. Anya, overwhelmed with emotion, managed to say, "I love you, more," before leaning down to connect with his lips once again.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Small Talk & Set Ups</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya makes a trip to Malfoy Mannor.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once Anya left for the evening, she arrived back home with a smile plastered on her face. Knowing that she should probably check in with Nathan before she turned in for the night, she stopped by his bedroom and heard two stressed voices having a rather heated conversation. She leaned against the door to eavesdrop right before hearing Nathan say, "The last time I checked, he wasn't a ministry worker. What business does he have there?" The second voice chimed in, "He has somehow managed to fool the minister into thinking that he has some kind of upper hand over him. I am unsure what that may be at the moment, but I will continue to dig deeper." Anya could hear Nathan let out a frustrated puff of air. "When you figure something out let me know. I don't like him showing up at the ministry whenever he feels like it, unnerving all of the employees that we have left. We can't afford to lose staff because of his idle threats." She heard the conversation end and decided to make her entrance. Nathan looked up at her quickly. "Anya, where have you been this evening? You look chipper..." Her smile deepened until he managed to say, "Let me guess, you were with him again?" She nodded, beginning to blush. Shaking his head, Nathan sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face with his hands. Anya asked, "What's wrong?" He sighed before responding. "A suspected Death Eater thinks that he is higher than the law and continues to come to the ministry to threaten the staff in one way or another." Anya glanced down, the smile melting off her face. "That's terrible," she said. Nathan nodded and leaned backwards on the bed, propping himself up with his arms. "I know. I'm trying to figure out what upper hand and he thinks he has against these people. He even has the minister under his umbrella of control. He isn't acting like himself, especially when this guy is around. He's apparently extremely wealthy and feels that he can do whatever he wants. However there are rules within the ministry and somehow he has been breaking them and bending them without punishment or repercussions. I'm trying to find out what's going on. None of this makes sense." Anya leaned forward and patted his hand. "You will get to the bottom of this, I know it. Do you want me to talk to Severus about this? Perhaps he can give some insight as to what this guys deal is. Maybe he will know him." Nathan nodded. "Perhaps, but I don't want this going any farther than it has to, so just us and him, alright?" Anya agreed and went on to tell him about her night. They gossiped and giggled for a while before she let him het back to his work. It was late after all and she had a large order to deliver the following afternoon and Arthur asked for her to stop by the Burrow before heading home. She needed her rest and the events of the day really took a toll on her. She made her way into her bedroom and fell asleep rather quickly after vowing to shower in the morning. </p><p>The next morning, Anya awoke with a start. She showered, dressed for the day and made her way downstairs to make coffee and finish the last few details on the large birthday cake that was to be delivered that afternoon. As she drank her coffee, Anya caught herself smiling and she felt unbelieveably lucky in this moment. Why wouldn't she? She had the love of a man that she never expected and she had an amazing job that admittedly did not pay exactly what she would like for it to, but she loved what she did and that mattered in the long run. She smiled broadly once the finishing touches were made and she then began the difficult task of boxing the cake up for transport. Using a shrinking charm, Anya was able to shrink the behemoth down to the size of a small stack of books, making delivery much easier. She grabbed her purse and went on her way to the disapparation point. </p><p>Anya's feet hit the pavement rather hard and she looked up to see that she had arrived just outside of a set of large iron gates. Glancing through them, she could see a mansion with stairs made from what looked like pure marble and a large man in dark robes walking towards her from the other side. When he reached the gate, he belted out, "What do you want?" Anya shivered upon hearing his voice and said, "Hello there. I am Anya, the cake decorator. I am expected here today." The man looked through the bars and said, "I don't see any cake." With that, she held up the tiny cake in the box and said with a sweet smile, "Don't you just love magic?" </p><p>Upon entering the large stone foyer, Anya found herself awestruck. The entire room was filled with statues and artwork that most people would never get the chance to lay eyes on and there she was. Before she could finish taking in her surroundings, a tall woman with dark hair, dressed in beautiful blue dress robes walked towards her. She wore a faint smile, but Anya could tell that she wasn't one for pleasantries. "You must be Anya. Please forgive Antoine. He isn't exactly a people person, but my husband refuses to be rid of him. I'm Narcissa Malfoy. I am the one that sent you the owl about the cake." Anya smiled and bowed her head slightly before saying, "Mrs. Malfoy, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for reaching out to me. I had an amazing time creating this cake for you." Narcissa smiled once more and asked to see the cake in all its glory. She lead Anya to the kitchen where she used magic to enlarge the cake once more. Anya watched as Narcissa clapped her hands together happily and began walking around it, soaking up every detail. "My husband will love this! It's his birthday, you know. We are having a rather large get together for him this evening and we simply had to make sure that his cake was magnificent. You really did wonders here, Anya. Thank you!" Anya was beaming. She had never heard someone talk so highly of her specialty cakes before and felt as though she just solidified a repeat customer. </p><p>Narcissa walked into the next room, beckoning for Anya to follow. "I need to grab my purse to pay you. It's just in the other room. Please feel free to roam about the room until I return." Anya began to wander about the room, careful not to touch any of the treasures lining the walls. She then heard multiple pairs of footsteps behind her. Turning, expecting to see only Narcissa, she noticed that she had returned, accompanied by a man with long blonde hair and a black cane. "Anya, this is my husband Lucius. Lucius, I thought that you might like to meet the genius behind that beautiful piece of edible art in the kitchen. Isn't it magnificent?" Lucius nodded his head before saying, "Anya, is it? What is your surname?" Anya smiled and said, "Weasley, sir." Lucius eyes widened and he replied, "A Weasley?! As in Arthur Weasley?" Anya nodded, her smile fading little by little. "I say, you are a talented little thing. I wouldn't have guessed the two of you were related." Anya quietly replied, "It's the hair, I suppose." Lucius nodded and with a smirk said, "I suppose my wife will be calling upon you often as we host many parties here. Suffice it to say you will be paid well for you work. You deserve it, after all." Anya smiled brightly before replying, "Thank you very much for the compliments. I'm so glad to have been of service. Please let me know if you ever need another cake or sweet treat for your events. I will be more than happy to help." Anya noticed Lucius staring at her as she spoke and she tried her best to make eye contact with the pair without reacting to his stares. "You are such a polite young woman...Very much the type that we associate ourselves with. You should come to our event tonight," he said with a grin. Narcissa's smile faded for a moment before she managed to say, "Oh Lucius, I'm sure Anya has other plans. It is such short notice after all." Anya nodded in agreeance before Lucius closed the distance between them, taking her hand and saying, "Surely you can make an exception. Our parties are legendary after all. Look at it as an opportunity to network." Anya meant to decline, but how could she refuse a chance to possibly gain more business? She smiled cheerfully and said, "That sounds wonderful, thank you for the invitation." Lucius backed away quickly, with a large smile on his face. "It's settled then! We will see you this evening. The party starts at 7p.m. Narcissa will give you all of the details." As he said this, Antoine, the ogre of a body guard, stepped into the room to inform Lucius that a visitor had arrived. Upon peering around the doorframe, he told Antoine to allow the man inside. As Lucius continued to talk to the two women, Snape walked into the room. </p><p>Upon seeing Anya, his eyes widened as she looked at him in confusion. Lucius bellowed, "Severus my good man! I was wondering what was keeping you. Where in the world have you been?" Snape quickly turned his attention to Lucius before saying, "I was grading exams. Forgive my tardiness." Lucius clapped him on the back and said, "No worries! Severus, you should meet the new confectionary genius that Narcissa just hired on. She's absolutely brilliant. Miss Weasley! This is our good friend Severus Snape. He is the potions master at Hogwarts." Anya smiled before taking the hand that Snape had offered. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor," she managed to say. Snape bowed over her hand and said, "The pleasure is mine, Miss Weasley." He placed a light kiss on her knuckles, sending goosebumps all over her body. Lucius saw this interaction and said, "Narcissa, dear. I have a brilliant idea! Snape here has found himself without a partner for the party tonight. Perhaps he could accompany Miss Weasley this evening." Anya blushed and said, "I'm sure the professor has better things to do than show me around for an evening, Mr. Malfoy." Lucius chuckled and replied, "Nonsense! Snape, you don't mind, do you?" Snape shook his head. "I would be honored to be your shaperone, if you would have me, Miss Weasley." Anya smiled once more and nodded. "Of course, Professor. That would be lovely. I will give you my address before I leave." Narcissa watched the interaction go on between the three and remained silent. Lucius clapped Snape on the back once more and said, "Now that it's settled, we need to discuss business, Severus. Ladies, please excuse us. I'm sure you both have plenty to discuss." Snape nodded to both women and followed Lucius before turning his head to glance at Anya once more. </p><p>Narcissa and Anya found themselves making small talk, mostly about their dress robes for the evening ahead. They went back and forth, discussing hair and make up tips while sipping tea and waiting for the men to make their return. Before she knew it, it was 1p.m. and Anya needed to make it to the Burrow before making her way home to get ready for the evening. She said, "Mrs. Malfoy, thank you so much for your hospitality, but I must be going. I have another appointment." Narcissa stood, smiling weakly. "Please call me Narcissa. I suppose we can chat more this evening if you're up for it. I am so excited to have made a new friend." Anya smiled and replied, "As am I. Thank you for everything, Narcissa." She nodded before knocking on door to Lucius study and stepping in to inform him of Anya's need to leave. He and Snape stepped out to bid her farewell. Lucius smiled and said, "I hope to see you tonight, Anya. Thank you once more for the beautiful cake. I will let Severus here see you out." Anya nodded with a small smile as Snape offered her his arm. The pair walked outside to the iron gates before Snape said in a quiet panic, "What the hell are you doing here, Anya? Are you insane? Do you know who that man is?" Anya replied quietly, "I was asked to make a cake for them. I didn't know who they were. I still don't. They seem nice enough." Snape scoffed and said, "Nice? Malfoy is a Death Eater! When have you ever known for them to be nice?!" Anya gave him a small smile. "Well, you aren't so bad..." Snape's frustration faded when she said this. He wanted to touch her but knew that the pair were probably being watched, even on the outskirts of the property. "Anya, please be careful. Do not visit this place often. I have no idea how to undo this for you but all I can say is let's just get the evening over with and we will have to figure things out from there." Anya nodded in agreeance and said, "Well at least we will be together." Snape grabbed her hand once again before bowing to kiss it. "Until tonight, Miss Weasley." With a smile and a pop, she vanished.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Promises, Promises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The party at Malfoy Mannor gets interesting.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya arrived at the outer wards of the Burrow just in time to see Arthur arrive home from work. He stood  outside the house, waving at her which she gladly returned. When she reached him, he enveloped her in a hug and began his usual small talk. Arthur had always been a chatty man. He always asked the same questions and told the same jokes and that was one of the things that Anya loved about him. He was predictable. They made their way inside to find Molly rocking one of their grandchildren to sleep. Quietly, the pair grabbed a cup of tea and made their way into the sitting room. Arthur sat in his old green chair, sighing audibly as he was able to recline backwards. He glanced over at Anya who was unaware that she was staring off into space, absentmindedly stirring her tea. He cleared his throat. "Anya dear, how is buisness?" Anya snapped out of her daydream to say, "It's going surprisingly well, actually. I just completed an enormous order and the clients want me to do all of their cake making for the forseeable future." Arthur loudly laughed and slapped his knee. "That's great news! Your mother and I have worried about you since the layoff. We don't see you or your siblings very much since the attack. For good reason, I suppose, but I wanted to talk to you about something. It is difficult to say..." Anya leaned forward in her chair to place her hand on top of his. "What's wrong, dad?" He gave her a small smile and said, "Nothing is wrong dear. Nothing at all, it's just...I need to give you something. Here." He handed her a small green envelope which she opened right away. Inside was a small brass key. She gave Arthur a confused look before he said, "Your birth parents...This is the key to their vault at Gringotts. When Dumbledore brought you to us that night...He gave us this key. He wanted us to use the money but we never did. We kept it for you until you were able to access the vault and so here we are." Anya looked down at the key and started to tear up. Now it was Arthur's turn to hold her hand. "Don't cry dear. We wanted you to have this. Maybe it will help in your journey to find happiness in you career. Finance your passion! Make a life for yourself without struggle. I'm unsure as to how much is in the vault, but I am sure that it will help just the same." Anya said, "But dad...You and mum deserve this money. Why didn't you use it? Life could have been so much easier for you both with having an extra mouth to feed." Arthur chuckled, "We had a house full of children, Anya. Life would never have been easy!" Anya laughed lightly and said, "I suppose you're right. Thank you, dad. You have no idea what this means to me." Arthur smiled once more and took a sip of his tea, patting her hand softly. </p><p>Before long, Anya had to leave the Burrow. She needed  to get ready for the party that evening and she had a lot to think about. She kissed her parents goodbye and disapparated back to Grimmauld Place. She came home to find Ginny and Harry in the kitchen discussing baby names. Anya wanted to say something to them but thought it best to just get ready for the evening. She went through her closet and found her next to best dress robes. They were deep red with gold trim and a rather low neckline. Anya showered, added a gold jeweled headband to her long curly hair, decided to make a statement with her bold make up choices and got dressed, leaving her dainty gold jewelry and red pumps for last. Before she was able to fasten her necklace, Ginny entered her room without knocking. Anya turned quickly to see what the commotion was about and Ginny beamed. "Did you know that there is currently a very over dressed older man downstairs waiting for you?" Anya laughed aloud. "No I didn't but thanks for letting me know." Ginny flopped down on her bed. "What's the occasion? Good robes? Good shoes and jewelry? He must be taking you somewhere really nice. I hope Harry sees this. He never takes me anywhere." Anya replied, "We were invited to a rather swanky party. Don't ask, just know that I plan on having an amazing time. Hopefully..." Ginny stared at her sister confused by her statement, but decided not to say anything. Anya looked in the mirror, checked her make up and slid on her shoes. "How do I look?" Ginny smiled. "You look wonderful. The absolute belle of the ball." Anya hugged her sister, patted her tiny growing belly and walked downstairs. There she saw a rather dapper Snape, dressed in the finest of black dress robes. His hair was slicked back and his posture was rather straight. Anya glided down the stairs only for Snape to focus on her descent. She prayed that she didn't fall and make a fool of herself and finally made it gracefully down the stairs. He grabbed her hand as she reached the bottom stair and turned her slowly. "You look ravishing, my dear." Anya's cheeks began to turn pink as she replied, "You clean up rather well yourself, Professor." Snape straightened his dress coat as she said this and the pair agreed to be on their way. </p><p>Upon apparating to Malfoy Mannor, the couple landed right outside of the iron gate once more. Anya thought to herself that the Malfoy's had to have a lot of wards set in place because everyone arrived there, checked in with the guard and made their way to the house. Anya had a grip on Snape's arm and quietly whispered, "Don't let me go, okay?" Snape looked at her and gave her a nod. "Stay close to me. It is not wise to separate tonight." Anya nodded in agreeance and the two made their way to the highly decorated ballroom. The room was filled with people laughing and drinking champagne and the Malfoy's could be seen floating from couple to couple, soaking up all of the compliments about their home, their demeanor, etc. When they were spotted by the Malfoy's, Anya's breath hitched and Snape quietly said, "Breathe, love. In and out." She plastered a fake smile on her face and began to charm the pants off of the Malfoy's. Lucius grabbed Anya's hand and placed a light kiss on it before complimenting her appearance. She felt immediately uncomfortable, especially with Narcissa standing across from her but said sweetly, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy and happy birthday again. I am thrilled to be here. You have such a lovely home. It's decorated so well. I'm sure Narcissa is the one responsible for all of the beautiful decor. Just look at her! Obviously she has amazing taste, she is absolutely radiant!"  Lucius smiled broadly before taking Narcissa's hand and twirling her around. "Yes she is a beautiful sight, is she not? You would never know that she has had children..." Narcissa blushed deeply while Snape and Anya exchanged glances. Lucius turned his attention back to them. "Well look at you two... You make an interesting pair. I say, Narcissa, they do look rather nice together, don't they?" Narcissa chimed in, "Absolutely. Dear, perhaps we should let them talk. I'm sure they probably want to get to know one another since they were practically thrown together. We females like a bit of conversation, Severus. Do remember that." With that, they went on their way to visit their other guests. </p><p>The night went by quickly, but was filled with dining, dancing and compliments. Snape and Anya stayed close together and if Anya was being honest, it was nice to be in public with him. Even though they had to limit their physical contact, it was still nice to be in the open, unafraid of what would come from them being seen together. Lucius and Narcissa found their way around the room once more and the two found themselves in their line of sight. Narcissa seemed as though she floated on air when she gracefully scurried over and linked her arm in Anya's as Lucius excused himself and Snape to have a brief conversation away from the women. They wandered away, just out of eyesight to talk and Anya found herself watching Snape being lead away. Narcissa leaned in, "How are you two getting along?" Anya smiled uneasily but said, "Fine, I suppose." Narcissa gave her a prize winning grin and said, "I suppose he is attractive in an odd way. He has been unattached for quite some time. We tried fixing him up several times but they never worked out for one reason or another. I will say, he looks less like he wants to run for the hills when he is with you. Maybe you two will get along well. If not, stick with me. Lucius and I know some of the wizarding world's most eligible bachelors. Rich, famous and all unattached. Ripe for the picking so to speak." Anya laughed uneasily and said, "Thank you, Narcissa but I think the professor and I may need a bit more time together before we start discussing relationships." Narcissa gave her a slightly confused look before replying, "Yes dear, but some of the best marriages bloom out of some of the shortest courting times. Take Lucius and I for example. We courted for a little more than two weeks before wedding arrangements were being made. Now look at us!" Anya smiled and replied, "You two are the perfect pair." Narcissa gave her a small side hug before the men came back. Snape looked towards Anya and asked, "Miss Weasley, would you like to dance one more time before I take you home this evening?" Anya nodded and he took her hand to lead her to the dance floor. They waltzed for a few moments before Lucius cut in. He and Anya danced momentarily before he lead her away into the corridor just on the opposite side of the room. When they arrived, Lucius asked, "How are you enjoying my party, Miss Weasley?" Anya looked around at her surroundings and replied, "It has been a lovely evening, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you again for inviting me." Lucius smiled at her before moving closer to her. "I say, Miss Weasley, I like the way that you address me. It's very...respectful. Do you speak to Severus the same way?" Confused but thinking she knew where this conversation was going, she said, "Yes. Professor Snape has been very kind to me. I hope I haven't bored him the entire evening." Lucius smiled rather wickedly. "I do believe he may be smitten, my dear. He finds you enchanting, as do I if I may be so bold. I don't see how anyone wouldn't be. Do me a favor and stick around. You are such a breath of fresh air and my wife absolutely adores you." He leaned forward to push a few curls behind her ear before she began stepping backwards and Snape showed up just in time to put his hand on the small of her back. "There you are. I thought you had run off until Narcissa said that she saw Lucius whisk you away. I say, Lucius, I hope you aren't trying to steal my date." Lucius chuckled quietly before saying, "Of course not, Severus. We did well with this one. You two should get to know one another. If not, I'm sure there are other eligible bachelors willing to have a go at her hand..." Snape replied, "Miss Weasley and I have had a nice evening. I do believe it is time for me to take her home."  Anya smiled weakly before saying, "Thank you again for a lovely evening, Mr. Malfoy. I hope to hear from you and Narcissa the next time you need a specialty cake." Lucius glared at her intently. "Of course, my dear. It was a pleasure to see you again. We should have dinner together soon, the four of us of course." Anya smiled and nodded momentarily before Snape bid him farewell. Before leaving the mansion, they said goodnight to Narcissa and made their way to the outskirts of the wards to disapparate back to Grimmauld Place. </p><p>Once inside, Anya lead Snape to the kitchen where she fixed them both a stiff drink. Sitting side by side at the island, neither said a word as they slowly sipped their firewhiskey. Snape was staring down into the glass when Anya took a sip of firewhiskey and said, "What the hell just happened?" Snape took another sip before saying, "Somehow you have been sucked into the world of Death Eaters and I literally do not know how. I need you to explain to me word for word how you came to meet them." Anya took a deep breath and went on about how she was contacted to make a cake for a birthday party and managed to tell him the whole story until the point where they got back to her house. He shook his head and turned back to his drink. "It just doesn't make sense. And you're sure they didn't know your last name?" Anya hesitated. "Narcissa knew. She was the one that contacted me. Lucius didn't know. He asked, I told him and he almost looked as if he was going to vomit when he heard so I definitely know that he was unaware of who I was." Snape let out a small scoff. "It doesn't surprise me. Lucius and Narcissa do not have what normal people would call an ideal marriage. Being a Death Eater has a lot of perks for Lucius, one being that his wealth and power attract all sorts of witches... Narcissa knows, of course. I don't think she cares, honestly." He took another sip of his drink and Anya turned back to hers. "I would most definitely care if my husband was fucking different women behind my back." Snape choked on his drink before looking at Anya in shock, wiping firewhiskey off of his chin. She refused to look up. "So is that what Death Eater men do? Sleep with dozens of women, torture, injure, wreak havoc?" Snape's face went blank. He turned to face her and said, "Not all of us. Believe it or not, some of us actually believe in the sanctity of marriage. The rest just comes with the territory." It was Anya's turn to scoff. Silence fell over them once more until Snape said, "I need you to stay away from them. If they want a cake, fine, but I suggest you find someone else to deliver it. Lucius sees you as another notch in his bedpost and it will be the last thing he ever does if he even lays a finger on you. I need you to hear me, Anya. This isn't a joke. Tell me that you will stay away!" Anya sat her glass down on the counter and said, "I promise to keep my distance. But Severus, what happens if things go wrong? I don't want to be another notch in anyone's bedpost. I just want to be happy like Ginny and Harry are. Did I tell you that they are expecting? Of course I didn't because I have either been unable to see and talk to you or I have been busy trying not to get sucked into whatever hellish game Malfoy is plotting!" She began crying and as the large tears spilled, so did her feelings, feelings that she was unaware that she even had. Snape sat and watched her with pain written across his face. "All of my siblings are married and now they all are going to have children! Then my mother has asked for years why I'm not looking for a partner. Now I am basically 25 with no career, which wait a minute, now I have this random key to a Gringotts vault that supposedly has money from my biological parents in it and I am suppose to finance my dreams and that is a lot in its self. Now I see how happy Ginny and Harry are, even to be having a baby during the worst possible time imaginable and apparently I have been waiting for my time to come which I never realized that was something that I would want or look forward to but now all of these unknowns have caused me to realize that I do want some sort of normalcy. Is that too much to ask?" She took a deep breath after rattling all of that off through her tears. Snape grabbed her hands and kissed them. He reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear and wiped away a few large tears that were rolling down her cheek. "Don't cry, please. I know that you are overwhelmed and I am so sorry. I can't help but feel as though I am to blame for a portion of it." Anya looked away as the tears fell harder. Snape tried to regain her attention and continued. "Please listen to me. I love you. I am in love with you. There is no way that that will ever change. I know that the past several months have been difficult for you as they have been extremely difficult for myself as well. There are days when all I can think about is you and I never want to stop doing that because at least then I can escape from the part that I have to play whenever I am not with you. I'm sorry that things are the way that they are and please know that if I had any control over the situation, things would be different." Anya glanced at him for a moment, still crying, but listening. He kissed her hands once more and said, "If we were not in the middle of one of the biggest wars that our world has ever seen, I would ask for your hand, give you as many children as you care to have and we would live happily in a cottage in the countryside. I would do all of that for you. I would do it for you now if I knew that I could guarantee your safety but I can't. Don't you see that? If I had any power in any situation, we could be happy for the rest of our days. Together. But until I can guarantee that you would be safe no matter what we did, it isn't an option. I am so sorry to have let you down. I thought that I could keep you safe and I thought that we could be together and make it work even through the struggles our world has seen thus far, but now I feel as though I have made things worse for you. The Malfoy family alone are trouble and things I fear have just begun. But I promise you this: I swear to you that I will keep you safe and when all of this is over and the war is won, we will have our chance. Do you believe me?" Anya's tears were no longer falling for what she was missing out on. She was now focused on the future and nodded her head while smiling through the tears. Snape placed his hand on the back of her head and leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He said, "Do you swear?" Anya nodded once more. He leaned in and kissed her gently. Her lips were salty and wet from her tears. Their kiss began to deepen as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. Before they knew it, they both were panting and their kisses became more and more hungry. Anya nipped at Snape's bottom lip and he let out a low growl. The two were running their hands through each others hair and over their chests, wrapping their arms around each other. All of a sudden, someone cleared their throat. It was Nathan who piped up, "Perhaps you should snog elsewhere? They make bedrooms for scenarios just like this, you know? No need to germ up the shared living spaces with your heavy petting." Anya and Snape both let out a laugh and Anya stood up, reaching for Snape's hand. He took it willingly and she lead him up to her room so that they could be alone for the rest of the evening.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. The Complications Of Being In Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mild smut and drama alert!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya made her way up the stairs with Snape close behind. She opened the door and stood to the side to allow him in. Snape looked around the room, taking in all of the personal touches she had added. He could see photographs of her family and friends on every surface as well as a desk covered in drawings of potential cake ideas. Suddenly he realized that he had never been inside her bedroom before and he turned to look at her. Anya closed the door, slipped off her shoes and placed them inside the wardrobe as Snape continued to take in his surroundings. Casually, she turned her back to him momentarily, letting her dress robe fall to the floor. All that was left was the incredibly tight, deep red, extremely low cut dress. She peered over her shoulder, moved her hair to the side and asked, "Could you unzip me?" Snape slowly made his way to her, running his hands over her shoulders and down her arms before finally touching her waist. Breathing in her perfume and lightly gliding his lips along her neck and ear, he gently ran his fingers down her back. Anya reached behind her to run her fingers through his hair and pull him closer. He unzipped her dress, turning her around in his arms to kiss her deeply. She pulled away and stepped inside her closet to change quickly, returning a few moments later wearing a shorter, much more comfortable dress.</p><p>Snape made himself comfortable on her bed, kicking off his shoes and leaning against the headboard. Anya appeared from the closet, causing Snape to turn his head quickly. He liked this dress. It was shorter, softer and allowed little to be left to the imagination. She slowly made her way to the bed, laying beside him. He turned his body and slinked down to allow her access to his chest where she lay cuddled against him, playing with the buttons of his dress shirt. They talked for what seemed like an hour, kissing randomly and running their hands over one another's body. Snape rolled over and found himself face to face with the person that he cared for more than anything. He leaned down and placed light kisses on her lips and slowly made his way to her cheeks, ears and neck. Anya stretched underneath him to allow him better access to her body. His kisses trailed down her neck and landed right at her collarbone. He looked down to see a heavily blushing Anya and asked in a breathy pant, "Are you sure about this? I do not want to do anything that you are unsure of." Anya reached her hands up to him and nodded her head, pulling his mouth back to hers. Snape reached down and lifted her leg, hiking it up to rest on his side. His kisses became deeper and hungrier by the second as Anya lifted her hips to beg for him. Removing his vest and beginning to unbutton his shirt, he kissed her once more before reaching down to help remove her dress. There she was, dressed only in her underwear and Snape could do nothing but look down at her in amazememt. She was breathtaking. On his way back down to her lips, he breathed, "Beautiful..." and Anya wrapped her legs around his waist, reaching down to undo his belt and pants. As she got to the zipper and Snape sat up to kick them off, he growled out in pain. His mark was glowing brightly and moving frantically. Anya jumped up. "I'm sorry! What is it? What happened?" Snape grabbed his forearm and stood, gathering his clothes. "It's not you, my love. I'm so sorry, Anya. Please forgive me." He growled out again, wincing in pain and pulling on his shirt and pants. Anya sat up in bed, the sheet falling to her waist. Snape winced again, this time he was struggling with wanting to be with the beautiful woman in front of him and leaving to uphold his duties as a spy. She looked down at her body and then glanced out the window. She wanted to cry but said, "Will you come back to me?" Snape's face softened quickly before walking to the bed and leaning down to kiss her. He said, "If you want me to return, I will. I'll floo in if that's alright. I don't want to chance being tracked." Anya nodded as he turned her face with his hand so that she was facing him. "I will return, I promise. I love you. Please don't be sad." Anya nodded and said, "You should go. Be careful. I love you." He kissed her once more and with a pop, he was gone. Nathan heard the noise and barged in her room to find Anya sitting alone, scrambling to cover herself with the sheet, watery eyed. "What happened love?" Anya lifted the sheet up higher to put her dress back on and said, "Three guesses..." He sighed and sat on her bed. "So nothing...?" Anya shook her head and wiped away a big tear that made its way halfway down her cheek. Nathan said, "Will he be back?" Anya sighed heavily before saying, "Supposedly but ten galleons says he comes back with a bloody lip or unable to even walk this time." Nathan scooted farther up on her bed, leaning against the headboard and putting his arm around her shoulders. Anya leaned back to lay her head against him and they sat talking for a while before they decided to grab some tea from the kitchen. </p><p>Snape arrived just outside of a familiar set of iron gates. Using his wand, he unlocked the gates and walked hurredly up the paved driveway, tightening his tie as he went. He was allowed into the mansion by Antoine, the body guard and Snape made his way to the overly decorated study located just feet away from the foyer. He opened the door to see Lucius and Voldemort sitting across from one another in rather comfortable armchairs. "Severus...Where have you been?" Severus, closing the door behind him, bowed and said, "Forgive me, my lord. I came as soon as I could." Lucius let out a chuckle before crossing his legs. Voldemort cocked an eye and said, "Do you have something to say, Lucius?" Lucius bowed his head before replying, "No my lord. I was merely thinking about this charming young witch that Severus accompanied to the party this evening. I'm sure they had a pleasant time. Severus here looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself." Snape squinted his eyes slightly in his direction before hearing Voldemort let out a loud cackle. "Snape?! With a female?! Surely I thought that you enjoyed the company of other men, Severus as you have never shown interest in any of the women that we have offered you before." Snape cast an angry glance at Lucius before saying, "My lord, I am not interested in keeping the company of a woman. I feel that they get in the way, so to speak. The young lady that accompanied me this evening was a new friend of Narcissa's that Lucius thought would be a good match. We were not and I do not believe that we will be seeing one another again." Voldemort's smile faded before saying, "Is it safe to assume that you bedded the witch before depositing her back home this evening?" Snape shook his head. "No, my lord. As I mentioned before, I am uninterested in matters of the flesh. I would prefer to remain clear headed without the complications of physical relations." Voldemort nodded and said, "Well if you are uninterested in her then I should like to meet this young woman. Narcissa has the best taste in friends, after all. Lucius! Tell your wife to set it up. If Severus is not man enough to take matters into his own hands then perhaps she just needs to meet me." Snape began to panic internally, casting his gaze to Lucius who replied, "Yes, my lord. She definitely is a lucky woman to be offered such a suitor as yourself." Voldemort nodded once more and looked to Snape. "What news do you have for me, Severus?" Snape made eye contact with the large serpent laying at Voldemort's feet and replied as calmly as possible, "I'm afraid there is no news, my lord. There has been no movement and there are no updates. I believe the Order may have been dissolved once the attack took place. Dumbledore has not mentioned anything about it to me or discussed any further plans with me." Standing to look out the small window located across the room of the study, Voldemort turned to glare at Snape. "Perhaps they have been dissolved... Good, good. Those fools must know that they are outnumbered and went into hiding. Be sure to keep an eye out for them, Severus. You never know what they could be up to." Severus nodded. "Yes, my lord. Of course." Looking back out the window, Voldemort put his arms behind his back and sighed. "Lucius, I am in need of a drink and a woman. Make haste with both." Lucius bowed and walked out of the room. "You are dismissed, Severus. Get some rest and next time, be more prompt to answer my call." Snape bowed to him. "Yes, my lord. Forgive me. Goodnight." Knowing that the Dark Lord is never that kind to anyone, fear struck him once more and he hurriedly made it to the edge of the wards and disapparated to his office. He had to get back to Anya and he had to come up with a plan to keep her away from the Malfoy's quickly. </p><p>Snape arrived in his office, looked around momentarily and then took the floo back to Grimmauld Place. He stumbled out of the fireplace into Anya's room, just to find her asleep in her bed with a copy of one of his favorite books of poetry. He smiled to himself in the dark before unbuttoning his vest and laying it on the chair across the room. He removed his shoes and left them at the foot of the bed. Unbuttoning his shirt, he grabbed the book and sat it on her bedside table and then climbed into bed, opposite her. He laid his head on the pillow, just to feel Anya stir awake. She rolled onto her side as he lifted his arm for her to cuddle up to him. She lightly began tracing words and shapes on his abdomen, listening to the relaxing sound of his heartbeat thump in her ear. "How did it go?" Snape closed his eyes. He knew she would ask but said anyway, "Let's not discuss it tonight." Anya leaned up to look at him and her hair fell across her chest. He reached up to touch it and tuck it behind her ear. "Is it something I should know?" Snape squeezed his eyes shut and said, "Yes, but I do not want to ruin this moment. Please..." She sighed in annoyance but agreed that in that moment, she was happy and this didn't happen often. She leaned down and placed her lips on his and the pair picked up where they left off before Snape was called away. Clothing was removed quickly and the pair took their time, enjoying each others bodies and the feelings that they had for one another. By the wee hours of the morning, they were spent and they laid in bed with Severus holding her for what seemed like an eternity before anyone said a word. Anya once again began tracing circles on his abdomen before saying, "Will that ever happen again?" Snape let out a low chuckle before saying, "I certainly hope so." Anya smiled and before she knew it, the smile faded and she asked, "And this? Will this ever happen again?" Snape realized which direction the conversation was leading to and reached his hand down to tilt her chin up. "Without question." He leaned down to kiss her once more and the two drifted off to sleep.  </p><p>Snape awoke to an empty bed. Before he was able to get his shirt buttoned all the way, Anya walked in the door with a tray of light breakfast items and coffee. Leaning up, she kissed him softly and he took the tray from her, placing it carefully on the bed. They sat down and Snape grabbed the coffee pot, pouring them each a cup as Anya buttered the toast. Eating and casting random glances at one another, the two sat in silence until Snape spoke first. "I'm sorry for leaving you last night." Anya smiled weakly before responding. "It's fine. You know that I understand." Snape nodded briefly before saying, "Anya, we need to talk. Lucius so boldly informed the Dark Lord last night about you." Anya stared blankly and he continued. "Lucius told him about us being together at the party and even though I tried to deny our relationship or feelings, he wants Narcissa to lure you to the mannor. You cannot let that happen. Make every excuse possible not to go there, I implore you. Make someone else deliver your products, make up excuses, do whatever you have to do, but do not under any circumstances go there. Narcissa may seem kind but in the end, she is only driven by money and fame, the same as Lucius." Anya had tears forming in her eyes and had the look of terror on her face but remained silent. Snape reached out to grab her hand and said, "Anya? Please say something. I need to know that you understand." Anya shook her head. "What am I suppose to say, Severus? I'm terrified! So what, now I have to be on guard against Voldemort himself? You can't be with me so I am alone in all of this. I can't deliver my cakes or get supplies. I'm not only petrified of being taken by the Dark Lord but now I am a prisoner in my own home as well. What do you want me to say?" Snape pushed the tray out of the way before grabbing her hands and saying, "I would never let anything happen to you! Even if I cannot be with you every second of the day, I will make sure that you are protected. I have plans in place. You have to believe me!" Anya couldn't look him in the eye. All she knew was that she felt more alone than ever and Severus was in the room with her. He reached up to pet her face and she pulled away from him. Standing, she pulled her robe tighter and said, "You should have told me these things last night when I asked! So what, you just wanted to get me in bed at least one time before I become bait?" Snape, angry that she would stoop so low, calmly but still annoyed managed to say, "So in everything that I just told you, you are angry with me for not wanting to ruin an experience that we both have been waiting months to have together?" Anya turned to him and said in a raised tone, "No, I'm angry that the man that supposedly loves me didn't tell me that his Death Eater buddies are planning on passing me around like hand me down robes before he had sex with me! Do you really think that we would have slept together if you had told me when I asked you what happened?" Snape pinched the bridge of his nose in anger. Squeezing his eyes together, he raised his voice to match her tone. "Of course I knew that but you cannot possibly be angry with me for wanting to be with you after everything that we have been through together as well as apart! I have done everything in my power to keep you safe and I will continue to protect you until I am no longer breathing. You know this! You cannot tell me that you believe that I knew that any of this was going to happen!" Overhearing the heated voices, Nathan knocked on the door and walked in. "What is going on, you two?" Anya stood across the room, turning her back to both men. "Someone tell me something. Anya? What the hell?" Anya did not turn around but said, "Tell him what is happening, Severus. He needs to know." Snape gave him the quick version to which Nathan responded, "What the hell have you two done? I hope this relationship is worth it because now you have to be under surveillance 24/7 until this blows over!" Snape sat down on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes. He ran his hands through his hair and said, "I have a plan. Anya knows what to do. The object is to take the heat off of her but until that happens, she needs to be protected. I need your help, Nathan. I need Harry and a few more aurors to assist me. Can you do that?" Nathan nodded. "Of course. I will give you whatever you need. Just make sure that Anya is safe." Snape walked over to Anya who still stood with her back turned. He tried to get her to look at him and speak to him but all she would do was shake her head and move away from him before saying, "I think you should go, Severus. I need to think." Severus dropped his hand and said, "I'll leave, but you have to know that I love you and I swear to you that I will fix this. Just remember my promise last night before I left. I meant every word." With that, he walked into the fireplace and with a nod to Nathan, he used the floo to get back to his office.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Bad Guys & Birthdays</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's Anya's birthday!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Snape took the floo back to his quarters, Anya and Nathan were left in awkward silence until Nathan finally said, "Okay, so now it's your turn to tell me what's going on." Anya shook her head and sat down on her bed, putting her face in her hands. She began crying softly before Nathan made his way over, crouching down just in front of her. "Hey... It will be okay, I promise. Between Snape, myself, Harry and a few others, we will make sure nothing bad happens to you. You just have to be careful for a while." Anya looked up at him, only to turn her face towards the window and say, "It's not just that, Nathan. How could I let myself get this close to him? He's a Death Eater for Merlin's sake! This is probably the most stupid thing that I have ever done." Nathan let out a small, light hearted chuckle and Anya took offense to it. "And I suppose you are just loving this, eh?" Nathan laughed again and said, "I told you, Anya. You cannot pick and choose who you fall in love with and even if he has one of the most dangerous professions on this planet, he still loves you and you still love him, right?" Anya looked down at her hands and nodded, tears still falling. "I'm just so angry with him, Nathan! We were intimate and instead of giving up this important bit of information beforehand, he made me feel like just some random piece of ass." Nathan nodded and said, "I know you feel that way but look at things from his perspective. He has fought tooth-and-nail to keep you safe and you finally had an opportunity to be together last night, which never happens. You two never get to see each other as much as you would like because of all of the craziness and when you finally get a chance to be together, I can pretty much guarantee he just didn't want everything to fall apart or for things to go wrong in that moment. You cannot fault him for that. You cannot be upset with him for wanting to be with you. He was honest with you after all of it. He wanted to make you happy and to be with you and then he knew that he had the difficult task of telling you the scary truth afterwards. Think about how that affected him. He had such a great time with you and wanted to do nothing but make you happy and thought of nothing but your feelings, and then when he's honest with you, you turn around and give him the cold shoulder and accuse him of knowing this was going to happen. What kind of person would do that? Even for a Death Eater, you know that's not the type of person he is. He loves you more than anything, Anya. He deserves an apology." Anya shook her head. "I need time to think, Nathan." He agreed and kissed her on the head before leaving the room. </p><p>Snape stepped out of the fireplace in his office, needing to be alone for a moment to think about what happened over the past few days. He lifted his wards and walked over to his desk to find a letter laying on top of a large stack of student exams. Opening it, he scanned through long enough to eventually just ball it up and toss it in the bin. He had forgotten about the end of term in the midst of everything that had happened and realized that it was fast approaching and he had to have all of the grades submitted by midnight the following evening. Leaning back in his chair, he covered his eyes with a hand and rubbed his temples. For the first time in a long time, he had found himself overwhelmed. He needed to focus on keeping Anya safe, but he was also expected to fulfill his duties at the school. On top of all of this, he was a Death Eater and had to keep up appearances as to not tip anyone off about his private life or his allegiance to Dumbledore. Snape put his face in his hands, rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair before he began grading once more.</p><p>Anya spent a large part of the day in her room, thinking about the days ahead. She wondered how she was going to be able to avoid the Malfoys and still be able to fulfill her cake orders as that was her only form of income at the moment. She began to question her relationship with Snape and thought about how difficult it must be for him to continuously be walking on eggshells daily as well as constantly putting his own life in danger, just to gain information that could possibly save everyone in the magical world. As she thought, she became more and more upset and she needed to find someone to talk to, quickly. She made her way downstairs where Ginny sat at the island of the kitchen, drinking a cup of tea and looking out the window. Anya grabbed a cup and poured some tea for herself before saying, "I'm sure you know the story by now..." Ginny nodded. "Nathan told me. I knew your involvement with him was going to end badly. You should have listened to me, Anya. Now what?" Anya sighed and said, "Well, I suppose now I have to stay here and wait." Ginny shook her head disapprovingly. "That is what you did before him, Anya. Aren't you tired of that? You could have found a nice guy to be with, one of the aurors we know perhaps, but that wasn't exciting enough for you, was it? You had to go and play with fire and now look at yourself! You're a prisoner here until everyone can find a way to make this all blow over. When are you going to learn that your actions affect everyone else as well? Harry won't let me leave now. He says that we need to bunker down until they can fix this. You really blew it for all of us, Anya." Anya sat her cup down before responding, "I didn't do anything wrong. I fell in love. You can't help who you fall in love with, Ginny." Ginny scoffed angrily. "Oh really? You mean to tell me that you didn't once question your actions when you began seeing him? You didn't think that maybe things would end badly?" Anya, aggrivated with her sister, said, "Of course I questioned it, but I couldn't help how I felt. I have never once felt as though I was in any way in danger while with him. None of us knew that THIS was going to happen! THIS was never on my radar!" Ginny shook her head once more and finished her tea before standing and heading upstairs. Anya needed to talk to Snape. She realized in the moment that she was wrong for what she said and they needed to create a plan together. She ran upstairs to shower and change before heading through the floo system to see Severus. Once she was dressed and ready to go, she reached for her shoes and heard a small pecking noise on her bedroom window. There sat a rather large white owl, perched on the window sil. Anya opened the window to allow it inside and gave it a treat before taking the silver envelope and sending it on its way. The perfectly perfect handwriting on the front of the envelope tipped her off as to whom the sender was. Opening the envelope and reading the note inside, Anya felt a pang of fear strike her and immediately jumped into the fireplace and took the floo system to see Snape. </p><p>Snape sat at his desk grading the last few first year exams before leaning back to rub his temples once again. All of a sudden, Anya stumbled out of the fireplace across from him, holding the silver envelope. Snape stood upon hearing the commotion and quickly made his way to her. She held up the letter before he could make contact with her and his face went pale as soon as he recognized the handwriting. He took it from her, read its contents and said, "You have to make an excuse to not go. Tell her that you have other plans or that you have to work. That will buy us some time." With a snap of his fingers, the fire place roared to life behind Anya, causing her to jump. Snape reached out to grab her hand and lead her to the couch. He walked over to the table across the room and filled two glasses with firewhiskey. Handing her a glass, he sat down beside her, staring into the fire blankly. He took a long sip of his drink before asking, "So I am assuming your presence here means that you are no longer angry with me?" Anya placed her glass on the table, turned her body towards him and replied, "I had no right to be angry with you. After you left, Nathan had a lot to say and even though I was still angry, Ginny started in on you and somehow the rational side of myself began to show through and I lost my shit on her and now here we are. I wanted to see you and then I recieved the letter and here I am. I'm so sorry, Severus. I shouldn't have left things the way that I did..." Before she could finish her statement, Severus placed his glass on the table beside hers, grabbed her hands and kissed her knuckles firmly before saying, "You do not have to apologize. You had every right to be angry and upset and I should have gone about telling you everything in a different way, much earlier than I did. I just didn't want to mess anything up and my plan backfired..." Anya's eyes began to tear up. She reached up to touch his cheek and said, "You are so brave, Professor Snape. I know that we will get through this together. Just tell me what I can do and I will do it." Snape leaned into her hand and kissed her palm before holding her hands once more. "I have already informed Harry and Nathan of Voldemort's intentions. They have multiple aurors on standby. As of now there is no concern until the Malfoys begin to catch on to your excuses. Hopefully that will take time, but I cannot be sure. Until they catch on, I will be trying to figure out a way to get their attention focused away from you." Grabbing her drink and tossing it back, she looked at him with a sly smile and said, "Well since there is no apparent danger at the moment, perhaps we can fill our time with other activities?" Snape, understanding fully what she meant, finished his drink quickly and took her hand to lead her into his chambers. </p><p>The next few months went by rather smoothly. Anya was able to give the Malfoys enough excuses to keep them at bay as Snape was able to turn their attention elsewhere, giving false leads whenever he could. Before long, it was Anya's 25th birthday and the Weasleys wanted to have a small gathering at the Burrow for her. Molly and Ginny, who made up with Anya a few days after their fight, made plans for the party. Ginny asked Nathan to reach out to Snape so that he knew that he needed to be there. The day of her birthday, Anya finished up the last of her orders and handed them off to Harry to be delivered by one of his spare aurors. She began cleaning up before there was a knock on the front door. Not expecting company, Anya went to the door to peer outside through the peephole. There she saw her brother Fred looking around. Anya opened the door and said, "Fred! Hi! What are you doing here?" She moved to the side to let him in. With a big grin, Fred looked her up and down and said, "Heya sis, you look terrible." Fred always was the subtle one, she thought to herself. "Nice to see you too, Fred." She shut the door and turned to face him. Fred smiled at her and said, "Happy birthday, by the way." Anya laughed. "You remembered? Very nice. So what's going on? Where's George? You two are always together, after all." Fred let out a sigh and said, "Mum wanted me to check up on you since she won't see you on your birthday. Shitty move, by the way." Anya replied, "Well if you must know, Snape asked mum if we could do my family get together another day. He wanted to take me out for dinner tonight to celebrate seeing as though the term is over and he has some down time, finally. Why did she send you of all people? All she has to do is floo here or call in through the fireplace." Fred shrugged. "I was the only one around, apparently. I dropped the kids off and she asked me to swing by before work." Anya nodded. "Okay then." Fred shrugged once more and said, "Well since you're busy tonight, I'll tell mom that I checked in on you. Have fun!" With that, he turned to leave, stopping just before he reached the door. "Perhaps you should go get dressed, eh? Or are you going out with lover boy looking like you just rolled around on the floor of a flour factory?" Anya laughed and said, "Don't worry. I will change later." Fred nodded and with a wave was gone. Anya locked the door behind him and ran upstairs to change. Fred was right. She was a mess...</p><p>The clock in the sitting room struck six and Anya was more than ready to head out for the evening. Snape was punctual as always, this time arriving by floo. He stepped out of the fireplace and smiled once he saw Anya sitting on the couch, ready and waiting to spend what she thought was the evening with him. She looked up and said, "Right on time, as always." He gave her a smirk and held out his hand. She took it and stood, as he said, "And you look fetching as always..." He kissed her cheek and asked, "Are you ready to go?" Anya looked around momentarily and said, "I just need to grab my purse then we can go." She soon made her way over to him and he held out his arm. Confused, Anya asked, "We are disapparating from here?" Snape said, "This time, yes. I thought you would appreciate a change in scenery." She smiled and agreed, holding onto his arm and with a pop they were transported to the Burrow.</p><p>Standing just outside the wards, Anya's confusion continued as she asked, "What are we doing here? I thought we were spending the evening together?" They began the trekk towards the house as Snape chuckled momentarily before saying, "We are, just with a few extra people." Anya was happy, but deep down, things had been so crazy with avoiding the Malfoys and Snape had been so busy that she was honestly really looking forward to having some alone time with him. She took a deep breath as they entered the Burrow and upon entering, saw that the kitchen was full of her favorite foods including trays of random chocolate desserts. Molly shrieked and clapped as she saw the pair, immediately grabbing Anya for a hug. She was then passed to her father who always gave her the best hugs and he held her at arms length and said, "I can't believe that this is our baby! Look at her, Molly! She is so grown up!" Anya blushed as the rest of the party goers passed her around, each one wishing her a happy birthday and hugging her. When Anya arrived at Ginny, she patted her growing stomach and said, "You were part of this, weren't you?" Ginny laughed and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "Yes. Mum called a while back wanting to set something up. Do you like it?" Anya looked around the room at all of the handmade decorations. "I love it. Thank you for everything." The two women talked back and forth momentarily before Molly lead everyone to the table and the birthday feast began. Platters of roasted chicken and vegetables made their way around the table along with bottles of wine. Snape sat beside Anya who would occasionally lean into his arm that he had propped up on the back of her chair and he would play with a few strands of her hair, tucking them gently behind her ear and touching her lightly as everyone laughed and conversated. Dessert was eventually served and presents were unwrapped, leading to the end of a very nice evening. When the clock struck ten, Anya knew it was time to go. She and Snape bid farewell to all of her family and they made their way back to Grimmauld Place. </p><p>When they arrived back at Anya's house, the pair grabbed a drink and headed upstairs for some much needed alone time. Anya changed into her pajamas and watched as Snape did the same. She noticed that Snape looked so comfortable in his white shirt and black pajama pants. She hadn't seen him this relaxed in a very long time. She climbed in bed with her glass of wine and watched as he made his way to the bed, reaching into his pants pocket before sitting on the edge of the bed. He held out a small envelope and a dark green felt covered box to her and said, "Happy birthday, my love. I hope you will enjoy this." Anya was beaming as she took the items and handed her wine to him to hold. Opening the envelope, she found that there were a few things inside it. There was a beautifully written poem that Snape had come up with on his own, a set of keys as well as a gift voucher for a dress robe shop that she had never heard of before. Confused, Anya looked up at Snape with the keys in her hand. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand..." Snape looked down and smiled as he said, "Let's just say that you and I are going on a little adventure soon." Anya giggled excitedly and said, "Really? When? Where?" Snape replied, "I won't tell you where, but it is very soon." Anya, unable to control herself said, "Soon? As in...? Come on, Severus... Tell me!" Snape unable to hide his amusement finally said through chuckles, "We leave tomorrow. Your sister packed your bags and they are already at our destination." Anya was beyond thrilled. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him several times. She quickly stopped when she realized what was happening. Afraid that she was dreaming, she asked, "So we will be alone together?" Snape nodded. "For how long?" He brushed her hair behind her ear once more and said, "I'm not entirely sure yet." Anya smiled but it faded once more. "What about your duties?" Snape shook his head. "Do not worry about that. It is your birthday and I have everything under control. Just sit back and relax and enjoy the experience." Anya peppered kisses along his jaw line and on his cheek before saying, "I am so happy! Thank you so much, Severus. I'm both excited and nervous to see what tomorrow holds." Snape laughed. "So am I, love. You have no idea. I hope you like it and I hope you enjoy yourself." Anya sat back on the bed and realized that she forgot to open the box. Reaching for it, Snape grabbed it before she could. He turned it around to her and opened it, revealing a beautiful sapphire necklace. Anya gasped at its beauty and small tears began to form in her eyes. It was delicate and dainty with a silver chain and small gem stones. He knew her all too well and she immediately threw herself forward, kissing him passionately. Snape was able to remove the necklace from the box, leaning forward to put it on for her. He kissed her neck as he leaned back to continue watching her excitement. "There is an interesting story behind this necklace. It was my mother's and it was one of the only pieces of jewelry that she owned. After she passed, I found out that it is a family heirloom. It directly connects a member of the Prince bloodline with whomever they give this necklace to. Think of it as a way for me to always know when you need me." Anya was in shock. "Severus... I don't know what to say... Are you sure that you want me to have it? I mean, it is absolutely marvelous, but perhaps you want to hold on to it? It is a family heirloom after all." Snape leaned forward and watched as she looked down to admire the necklace. He reached his hand forward to lightly touch her face and he tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. "I want you to have it. I do believe that my mother would love you and would want you to have it as well. Now we are truly connected and if at any point you need me for anything, just say my name and I will be able to disapparate to wherever you are located." Anya said, "It's that easy?" Snape nodded. She beamed once more and said, "Thank you so much, Severus. This is absolutely beautiful. I have had such an amazing day. This has definitely been the best birthday that I have ever had." Snape leaned forward to touch her face and within seconds, Anya's lips were planted on his own. She shifted on the bed and climbed in his lap, straddling him. Their kisses became heated and before long, the sapphire necklace was the only thing that she was wearing. Laying on the bed with her body exposed, Severus began planting kisses from her navel, making his way up her neck and behind her ear. Anya couldn't help but think in the moment that this was the best birthday that she had ever had.</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Vacations & Bubbles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The pair get some alone time...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Anya couldn't wait for the sun to rise. She knew that the day was going to be amazing because the night before was purely magical. The sun began to show through the window and Anya took it upon herself to make breakfast for everyone. She singlehandedly cooked enough bacon, pancakes and eggs to feed a small army before brewing a pot of coffee. Taking a few plates upstairs on a tray, Anya couldn't help but become more and more excited for the day. When she walked in the room, Snape was getting dressed after he had showered and he grabbed the tray as she shut the door. "You know, you should stay in bed and let me do this for you sometime," he said with a grin. She leaned up to kiss him and said, "Where is the fun in that?" The two had breakfast while sitting on the bed before Anya went to shower and dress for the day. When she was done, she found Snape downstairs talking to Ginny and Nathan in the kitchen. "There she is," Nathan called out and they all turned to smile at her. Excitedly, Ginny linked her arm in Anya's and said, "Are you excited about today because I am!" Anya let out a laugh and said, "Yes but I wish someone would tell me something..." With that, she looked over to Snape who was taking a rather long sip of coffee. He gave her a small smile before saying, "We can leave whenever you want to, my dear." Anya jumped up and kissed Nathan and Ginny on the cheek before grabbing Snape's hand and pulling him towards the doorway. Laughing, Snape turned to the others and said, "I suppose we are leaving now..." Anya gave an excited small jump and waved to her family, telling them that she loved them on her way towards the door. The pair walked out the front door and to the disapparation point. "Are you sure you are ready for this, Miss Weasley?" Anya beamed brightly. "If I get to spend time alone with you without any interruptions, then I am more than ready, Professor." Snape pulled her into an embrace and kissed her softly as the familiar tugging sensation of disapparating pulled at her stomach. </p><p>When they arrived at their destination, all Anya could see was rolling green hills for as far as the eye could see. She turned and asked, "Did we get lost?" Snape said, "No, actually. Our destination is just a short walk up this small road over here." Anya smiled and took his hand as they leisurely made their way down a small pebble covered road, passing small fruit and vegetable stands along the way run by some of the nicest people Anya had ever met. Snape stopped at one fruit stand when an old man lifted his hand in a wave. "Severus, my boy! Where have you been? I haven't seen you in more than months. Oh! Who is your lovely friend here?" Snape reached out to shake the man's hand and said, "I'm afraid teaching has kept me busy, Emeric. This is my girlfriend, Anya. Anya, this is Emeric. Emeric has been running this stall since before I can remember. How have you been, sir?" The old man gestured to his cart full of fruit and responded jovially, "Well my grove came in quite well this season as you can tell. I just need the customers to buy it all." He reached out to take Anya's hand and kissed it lightly before saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Anya. I have known Severus here since he was a wee lad when his grandmother would bring him down the road for supplies everyday." He turned his eyes to Snape and said, "Such a wonderful woman, your grandmother. I was so sad when she passed away. Are you two heading to the cottage?" Severus nodded and said, "Well, I need to stock the kitchen, so I will take some apples, peaches and some of the plums over there. I think we will have to swing by later on to grab some vegetables if that is alright." Emeric scrambled to grab a small wooden basket and fill it for him. "Of course! I will be here. I always am, you know that!" Snape gave him his half smile before the pair paid him and bid him farewell and walked hand in hand down the small road. Anya smiled excitedly up at him. "A cottage? That sounds amazing!" Snape nodded just as they came upon a fork in the road leading to what seemed like nowhere. Snape removed his wand from his sleeve and with a wave of it, the thick trees began to twist and turn, unveiling a dirt trail with a beautiful white cottage at the end, perched just atop a small hill. Anya became breathless and Snape watched her, looking for some hint of dissatisfaction. This was, of course, his favorite place in the world and he wanted her to experience its magic as well. She began pulling him down the small trail, turning to look back at him smiling as she lead him towards the house. When they arrived just outside of its wards, Anya stood still and found herself staring at it. </p><p>The cottage was relatively small. The white paint on the outside showed its age, but it was obviously very well cared for. There was a white fence surrounding it and in the front garden were rose bushes galore. Anya could see herb plants located just outside of what she assumed was the kitchen window and there was a large tree just outside the gate, giving off a massive amount of shade. The property surrounding the house was lush and green and full of hills. About a mile away, atop one of the large hills, Anya could see sheep grazing lazily. Snape walked behind Anya and put his arms around her. "What do you think?" Speechless, she turned to him and gave him a hug, leaning up to give him a peck on the cheek. She grabbed his hand and pulled him once more towards the house, this time quicker than before. Snape waved his wand to drop the wards and she was allowed entrance through the gate. Anya ran her hands along the roses and other flowering plants, soaking in their beauty. She looked around and was finally able to say, "This place is magnificent, Severus. It is absolutely beautiful here. This was your grandmother's home?" He nodded and replied, "I was never happier than when I was here with her and now I would like to be happy here with you. I hope you can see the charm and potential that it posesses..." Anya nodded. "It is absolutely charming. Just like in a muggle fairytale." Snape kissed her hand and walked her over to the door. "Do you have those keys that I gave you last night?" Anya nodded and pulled them out of her pocket. She used one to unlock the door and with a creak, it opened, revealing an outdated but very clean and well kept home. She stepped inside and saw the quaint sitting room filled with vintage furniture and a door leading to what she assumed was the kitchen. She turned to Snape who said, "Go explore! Please!" With a small giggle, she went on her way, navigating the hallways and glancing in each room. She found the humble bathroom located between two smallish bedrooms and was in awe of the claw foot tub. She thought about all of the luxurious baths that she could take there and giddly went about exploring the rest of the house. She walked through the kitchen, seeing that Snape had left the fruit in there before opening the top half of the door to the back garden. Anya walked outside to find Snape leaning back in an adarondak chair with his eyes closed, soaking up the suns rays. He glanced up when he heard the door close. "What do you think?" Anya sat on the edge of his chair and touched his hand. "This place is absolutely magical, Severus. Thank you so much for bringing me here. It means so much to me that you would bring me to a place that means so much to you." Snape watched her expression, looking for a sign of unhappiness and when it never came, he lifted his hand and traced the outline of the necklace around her neck with his fingers lightly. "I'm happy that you're happy, love. Come here..." He wrapped his arms around her and the two leaned back in the chair with their eyes closed, taking in the sounds surrounding them. Anya had never been somewhere so peaceful and quiet and deep down, she felt as though she never wanted to go back to the noisiness again. </p><p>After a few moments, Snape asked, "What do you want to do now?" Anya snuggled into him and said, "This is nice... Let's do this," and that is what they did until lunch time. Anya stood up from the chair and wandered around the back garden. There were vegetable plants and fruit bushes everywhere, along with random flowering plants playing host to occasional yellow butterflies as well as a few bumblebees. Anya stood with her eyes closed towards the sun, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sound of baby sheep call out to their mothers. Snape watched her sway in the breeze and smell the flowers, amazed that he finally found someone that appreciated this place as much as she did. "Anya, love. Perhaps we should see Emeric again. We could make salads for lunch if you would like..." Anya turned, her hair blowing in the breeze. "That sounds great. Let's eat out here, okay?" He agreed and the pair walked hand in hand to visit the old vendor once more. </p><p>Bringing back an abundance of green vegetables, the pair washed and chopped everything together, creating a perfect salad. They ate outside at the tiny iron garden table and Anya sat admiring the china that the food was served on. "It was my grandmother's, of course. I inherited the house and everything in it when my mother passed away, along with my parent's home. I sold that property but couldn't bare to part with this one. I always thought that I could retire here... I never saw myself having a significant other, but I do prefer it better this way." Anya reached over to hold his hand and gave it a light squeeze. She could see herself being happy there as well. They finished lunch and Anya washed dishes, allowing Snape to dry them. Once finished, he wrapped his arms around her and she turned to look at him. "What would you like to do now, my sweet?" Anya thought for a moment before placing a light kiss on his lips and slowly backing towards the hallway, pulling him with her. She pulled him into the room that had her luggage in it and climbed on the bed, playfully. Snape lowered himself onto the bed and crawled towards her, grabbing her ankle and giving it a tug, causing her to fall backwards with a yelp. She giggled as he climbed on top of her, planting kisses on her neck and cheeks, sliding farther down her torso, lifting her shirt to expose her abdomen. He sat up, running his hands across her stomach and up her bent leg beside him. He watched her revel in his touch and thought about their future momentarily. He thought about when the war was over and he was truly free, not just on vacation or hiding out to have a moments peace. He longed for the ability to do what he wanted, when he wanted without having to answer to anyone. In the moment he saw their future. The war was won, they were married and Snape could picture a small child playing in the grass just outside of the cottage as a pregnant Anya washed dishes, watching the child walk among the flowers in the back garden. Snape could feel himself walk behind her and put his hands on her swollen belly and kiss her behind the ear as she turned to look at him and smile contently. Snape faded out of his daydream to see the object of his desire below him and went about pleasuring her every way imaginable. This would have to do in the moment. </p><p>When they were settled in their afterglow, laying under the covers together, Anya laid her head on his chest, listening to his slowly beating heart. She loved this. Being able to be alone and not having to worry about danger lurking behind every corner or about the pair having to be on their toes constantly was a breath of fresh air. She wanted to stay like this forever. Snape could read her mind and said, "Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just stay here forever? Just like this..." Anya sat up and said, "Why can't we?" Snape's smile faded slowly as he tucked her hair behind her ear. "You know that's not possible now, love." Anya looked away for a moment and said, "Why not? We could stay here under the radar of practically everyone and just be happy. Who knows what will happen in the future. We could be putting our lives together on hold for years and years to come. Then what? We would look back on our time and regret that we didn't spend our days together here." Snape, feeling her frustration and need, said, "I understand what you are saying and I agree that it would be wonderful, but we never know what the future is going to bring. What do you want me to do, Anya? Flee? Bring you here and live in fear everyday that my family may be in danger when someone from the outside may or may not find us? I cannot live that way. I would rather fight this war and come out on the other side a free man." Anya scoffed and sat straight up in the bed with her back turned to him. "And until then?" Snape touched her arm and said, "Until then, we enjoy each others company and plan for our future knowing that one day, we will not have to worry about this any longer. We will be free to do as we wish." Anya shook her head and got out of the bed, dressing quickly. "Where are you going?" She looked at him as she pulled on her jeans and said, "I need air." She slid on her top and made her way to the back garden where she opened the gate and kept walking. She made her way to a heavily wooded area and decided to go explore. Before she could get both feet in the woods, she was immediately pushed backward. She tried again before she was pushed once more. Confused she walked a few feet away and tried entering again. Same outcome. Confused and frustrated, she walked backwards to see if there was a something in the trees preventing her from going in the forrest. She saw nothing but tried again from a different area. Snape was watching on the hill as she took out her wand and tried to gain enterance with magic. Nothing happened and each spell she sent out would be deflected and aimed at the ground. She backed up once more, breathing heavily. "Anya... Please stop. You are wasting your energy." Anya turned to see Snape watching her and said, "What are you playing at? What is happening here?" Snape made his way down the small hill to say, "This was the only way for me to guarantee our safety while we are away. I have created wards that cover a large area to keep us under the radar of other Death Eaters. They do not know that we are here." Anya was livid. "So you mean to tell me that I am trapped in a bubble, unable to go anywhere. I'm just here?" Snape shook his head. "In a bubble, yes. However the wards have been lifted across this town. We have access to all of the shops and restaurants, but we cannot venture outside of my wards until I take them down when we leave." Anya, angry and confused said, "So you will deny me a real future here, yet you have done exactly what I asked for in there and didn't tell me about it? Why, Severus? Why is it that this is okay now but not at a later date?" Severus reached out his hand, pleading with her to come inside with him to talk. Refusing, she demanded, "I'm waiting, Severus." Snape knew it was no use. She would not budge. "Because this is a test, Anya. I'm testing how long the wards can last before I have to reset them or they fail. That is why I said that I was unsure as to how long we would stay. I would love to stay here and create a future with you, but it's not realistic at this point in time. We are still in danger, but here under my wards, we can have time together until the wards fade and I have to reset them. I cannot do that forever, Anya. It is the same as fleeing. I refuse." Anya walked past him up the hill. "Where are you going?" In her anger, she said, "Home. Where there is no bubble." With that, she stormed inside the cottage, grabbing her luggage and taking off up the tiny dirt road.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Loving & Leaving</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya wants to leave.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before she could get to the end of the driveway, Snape was one step ahead of her. He jumped in front of her, causing her to take a step backwards as he began to beg her to stay. "Anya, please. I just wanted to do something nice for your birthday. I didn't think that being under my wards would be an issue for you." He reached for her arm and she pulled away from him. "Of course you didn't, Severus. You don't get it. It's not being under your wards that is the problem. I mentioned us staying here under the wards so that we could begin our lives together and you turned me down, just for me to find out that you were doing exactly what you said you wouldn't do but as an experiment! Like I'm a guinea pig or something! So you're not willing to stay here permanently with me but you are willing to be here long enough to bed me and to wait to see how long it takes before the protection charms wear off?" Snape held up his hands and walked in front of her once more as she tried to walk around him. "Anya you don't understand. I know what you want. I want the same thing. It is just not possible at the moment. There is a war going on, one of which I play a large part in. I cannot just run away from the problems that I have been dealing with for over a decade. Do you really want to spend the rest of your days with a coward? I am no coward, Anya. I have responsibilities that I have held long before you. I love you and I want to be with you until the day that I die, but this is not the time for us to drop everything and run off. Let us enjoy our time together here for as long as possible, return home to fight this battle whenever it may come and then we can move on together." Anya shook her head. "There is no shame in being happy, Severus. For once, don't you think that you deserve to be happy? You have served two masters for so long. At least if we stayed here, even if we lived under the wards, we would at least be able to spend our lives together. If we go back, we are returning to being under the control of others. Back to the craziness of our lives where we are limited as to when we can see each other. Back to hiding and tip toeing around. Those responsibilities that you speak of can be dealt to others for once. For Merlin's sake, Severus! We have no idea when this war will begin. It could literally be years from now and you are telling me that you are willing to go on like this for years?" Severus pinched the bridge of his nose before replying, "Anya... I have no choice. I would rather fight and win the war and be able to guarantee our future together than flee and still be aware that I have literally run away from my problems and the problems of others, potentially putting off the inevitable. Then I would still have to fight the war with a family to worry about. At least now it is just you that I have to protect." Anya said, "What about our problems, Severus? When are our problems going to be solved? The ones here and now? I am not getting any younger, Severus. There are things that I want and you continuously deny me and for what? For your pride?" Snape knew this day was not going to end well. "Pride has nothing to do with this, Anya. Please, just believe me when I say that I am doing all that I can to make you happy and ensure your safety, but you have to be patient with me. I have a career to uphold and a responsibility to protect the innocent within the wizarding community. I thought that you understood all of this." Anya sighed heavily before saying, "I thought I did too..." She tightened her grip on her luggage and turned to walk around him once more. He reached an arm out in front of her and said, "It's getting late. Why don't we just go have some dinner at one of the local restaurants and we can talk some more?" Anya stood there with a blank stare on her face. "You don't get it, do you Severus?" He clenched his eyes closed and said, "Apparently not but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is too late in the day for walking the trails alone and for disapparating. At least wait until morning, please." Anya stared at him and said, "Fine," and she turned on her heels to head back towards the cottage. Snape walked behind her and grabbed her bag, walking it inside and depositing it in the same bedroom as before. </p><p>Anya entered the cottage once more and said, "I would like to take a bath before dinner if that is alright..." Snape nodded and showed her where the towels were before exiting the room and leaving her to bathe in private. She filled the tub as high as she could with hot water and bubbles then she disrobed, put her hair in a bun and slinked down into the tub. The hot water felt heavenly all over her body and Anya eventually fell asleep, overwhelmed from the day that she had. She awoke to find a large pair of blue eyes peering at her from over the tub. She screamed and yelled for Snape as she flailed gathering bubbles and a washcloth to cover herself. The creature screamed as well and scurried around the bathroom, slipping and sliding around on the rug before slamming into the door. The bathroom door flew open upon Snape hearing her and he saw a naked and petrified Anya pointing towards the door. He opened it quickly to find his house elf huddled in the corner with a washcloth covering its head. Severus bent down and tapped the little creature on the shoulder and it peered out from under the washcloth to look around the room. Folding his arms, Snape said, "Well Winnie, you have frightened the lady of the house. What do you have to say for yourself?" Winnie slowly stood and said, "Forgive me master. Winnie just came to clean, sir and she found a lady in the tub. Winnie thought she was an intruder, sir." Snape grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Anya's naked frame, who immediately felt sorry for the house elf who was just doing her job. Stepping out of the tub while holding Snape's hand for stability, she crouched down on her knees and said, "I'm sorry for alarming you, Winnie. My name is Anya. How do you do?" When she said this, she held out her hand. Winnie smiled and shook her hand and began petting it as she turned to Snape to say, "Winnie likes her very much, master. She is very pretty, she is! Winnie is sorry for scaring the misses." Snape smiled and said, "I agree with you completely, Winnie." Anya looked up at him from the floor and gave him the tiniest of smiles before excusing herself and leaving the room to get dressed. </p><p>That evening, the pair walked side by side in silence up the pebble path to find a restaurant for dinner. They stumbled across a pub, an Italian restaurant and a small cafe. Snape stood just outside of the Italian restaurant, asking if Anya wanted to give it a try. She agreed and they were able to be seated right away. Snape ordered a bottle of wine and as Anya scanned the menu, she realized that she was famished and had no idea of what she wanted to eat. Snape knew that she was struggling and said, "The chicken marsala is very good here as is the salmon. I do believe that I will be ordering it. What are you in the mood for?" Anya took this opportunity to drive her point home from earlier. She said, "Oh you know, nothing much, just a commitment. Marriage, children, a nice home... Nothing big. Oh but wait... You were talking about food, sorry." With a roll of her eyes, she opened her menu and started scanning it once again. Snape closed his menu quickly and said, "Do you really think that I do not want these things as well? Look at you! Who in their right mind would turn you down? Why are you even with me? I'm positive that some auror friend of your sisters could scoop you up and give you those things as well but yet here you are with that face and that heart, wanting me! This isn't a decision that I take lightly, Anya. You have to know that!" Anya lowered her menu to glare at him. "All I know is that I have never asked you for anything the entire time that we have been together or known one another. I have supported you and defended you to everyone. I find it funny that you so boldly say that I have a pretty face and good heart but STILL find reasons to turn me down. Who in their right mind would do that, Severus? Isn't that what you just said? You make these promises to me and then jerk them away as soon as I ask you to make good on them!" Snape, knowing that this was a battle that he was not going to win, said, "You're right. I cannot give you what I promised you for the future at this moment in time. That does not mean that I will not give you what you want in time and then more. I am just imploring that you see my side. See my reasoning. Step back from your wants and see the bigger picture, Anya." Anya looked down into her wine glass and said, "I do see the bigger picture and I see all of the unknowns. I would rather have a chance at happiness with you right now and then fight when I need to fight than go back to our lives of not knowing when the other shoe is going to drop or when we will be able to see one another next. What if things go wrong, Severus?" She looked up from her wine glass to see him staring at her with concern on his face. "What if things go wrong and we never get the chance to live out this part of our lives? Then what? I am suppose to just be thankful for the time we spent in fear? It's not fair, Severus." Snape was speechless. She had a good point and he couldn't argue with her logic. She took a long sip of her wine before the waiter came back to take their order. They ordered their salads and entrees and the waiter scurried away, eventually bringing them more wine. Anya waited for his response and when she didn't get it, she sat in silence, looking out the window. Snape got up from the table and left the restaurant. Shaking her head, she tossed back her glass of wine and began eating her salad when it came. A few moments later, Snape returned and sat down across from her once more. Anya watched him as he picked at his salad. They sat through dinner and dessert in silence and walked back to the cottage the same way. When they arrived, Anya walked into the bedroom with her luggage and got ready for bed. She heard a faint knock on the door and she opened it, finding Winnie standing there. "Winnie was just wondering if miss needs anything?" Anya smiled sadly and said, "No thank you, Winnie. Thank you for asking." Winnie nodded and went to leave before Anya asked, "Winnie? How long have you worked here?" Winnie smiled and said, "Ever since the first misses lived here, miss. She was kind to Winnie. Master Snape would visit here in the summer time and Winnie would watch over him while the misses cooked sometimes. Winnie misses the misses. But miss is very nice as well." Anya smiled and said, "Thank you, Winnie. You are very kind as well. Please have a good evening. I think that I am going to turn in for the night now." Winnie smiled once more before saying, "Yes miss. Of course, miss. Goodnight, miss." Anya closed the door and changed clothes before sliding into bed. Sleep came quickly for her that night.</p><p>When Anya awoke, the smell of coffee and bacon was wafting through the air. She pulled on her fuzzy purple robe and went in search of the heavenly smell. Upon walking in the kitchen, she saw Snape standing at the stove, dressed in black pants, a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and his hair pulled back. He was frying bacon and a magical radio could be heard playing quietly beside him. He heard her feet hit the cool tile floor and moved the pan further back on the stove, removing the meat from it before turning around to look at her. The morning breeze was flowing through the open top portion of the door to the back garden and it was rather chilly. Anya pulled her robe tighter and looked at him, soaking in the beauty that was his tight frame and strong forearms. She loved it when he rolled his sleeves up and watching him cook was a major turn on. However, nothing took away from the fact that she was heart broken. Her excitement immediately faded away when she remembered what happened the evening before and Snape could see the glimmer of hope extinguish right in front of him. He finally said, "Good morning. I made coffee, if you would like to sit down, I will make it for you." Anya nodded and said, "Thanks..." She sat at the small kitchen table and waited for him to bring the coffee. Once he placed the cup in front of her, she thanked him and he turned to uncover a platter of food that he had made. Snape placed the tray on the table and sat out plates and silverware before serving her. He put her plate in front of her and she smiled up at him weakly. "This looks lovely, Severus. Thank you." He smiled just as weakly and nodded. She tried the scrambled eggs and they were divine. The bacon and toast were made perfectly and she slowly made her way through the majority of the plate. "I didn't know that you could cook this well..." She heard Snape chuckle lightly. "You never gave me an opportunity to show you until now." Anya nodded. He was right. When they finished breakfast, she cleared the table and began washing dishes. Snape stood beside her and said, "I can do that. Please." Anya shook her head and kept scrubbing. He stood beside her and dried the dishes and put them away. Turning to leave the kitchen, Snape blocked her path. She looked at him momentarily before saying, "I was going to get ready for the day..." Snape looked down at her and said, "I have something to say. I need you to sit down first." Anya did as she was told and sat in a kitchen chair. Snape pulled the other chair around to sit in front of her. Casting his glance downward, he began, "Please hear me out before you walk away. Can you do that for me?" Anya nodded. He started, "Anya, I love you. I love everything about you. You are the kindest and most loving person that I have ever known. I do not deserve the grace that you have shown me in the past, but I am asking for it now. Please do not leave. I know that being with me is stressful and that our time together is inconsistent at times. I know that being here is also stressful on you because of the wards and our inability to stay here indefinitely, but I need you to grant me some of your grace for just a little while longer. I know that I have made promises in the past and I know that you deserve to have those promises fulfilled right now and I swear to you that I will make good on them, I just need a little more time to make sure that we will be safe going forward. Can you please just give me more time?" Anya looked up from the floor and said, "How much time? Years? No." Snape shook his head. "Not years. I could not do that to you. I am asking for no more than a year. After that, if you are still unhappy with our arrangement, then I will step aside and watch you find happiness elsewhere. I will not bother you or interrupt your life in any way. However, I will always be around if you need me." Anya leaned forward and looked Snape in the eyes before saying, "Okay. One year. I expect results, Severus Snape." Snape's facial expression slowly turned from worry to a playful smile. Anya smiled back at him and the two kissed softly as a light breeze floated through the room bringing the smell of roses with it. Anya stood and said, "I suppose I need to get ready for the day." Snape smiled wickedly at her and responded, "Do you need any assistance?" Knowing fully well what he meant, Anya walked away and turned once she got to the end of the hallway to say, "Well, it is going to be difficult to untie this robe..." Snape took the initiative to assist her in the bedroom. He was a gentleman, after all. </p><p>Snape and Anya had been at the cottage for almost two weeks. They made daily trips to see Emeric at the fruit stand and they would cook dinner at home most nights. They had developed a routine and if Anya was being honest, she loved it there. One morning when they were sitting outside having breakfast, Anya asked, "Severus, do you think I could buy some more flowers and plant them here in the garden?" Snape folded his newspaper and said, "I think that is a great idea. This is your home, after all. Do as you wish!" Anya blinked at him for a moment. "What do you mean? This is your home..." Snape stood and walked over to her, kneeling on the ground. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small red box. He turned it and opened it slowly. Inside was a small silver band with a modest diamond in the center. Anya gasped. Snape chuckled for a moment before saying, "Just because we have to put things on pause for now doesn't mean that I can't show you that I am serious about our future together. Anya Weasley, will you marry me?" Anya lunged forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately. "YES! Of course I will, Severus Snape!" He pulled the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. It was the perfect size and Anya couldn't believe what was happening. She admired the ring and rotated it on her finger, still beaming. He held her hand as she touched it. "This was my grandmother's engagement ring. She and my grandfather lived an amazing life together. They were both incredibly kind people. I only hope that we will be as happy as they were." Anya smiled up at him and kissed him gently. "We will be, I just know it. It is absolutely beautiful, Severus. Thank you so much!" Snape couldn't believe it. She said yes.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Refuge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>All good things must come to an end...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The newly engaged couple spent the next few days enjoying each others company and sleeping in, although not much sleeping was being accomplished. One evening after dinner, Snape snapped his fingers, igniting the fireplace and he and Anya sat on the couch together as he read more of his favorite muggle poetry to her. Anya leaned her head against his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. His voice was smooth and deep and as always, whenever Snape read to her, Anya relaxed to the point of yawning. He looked down at her, smiling as he began petting her hair knowing that momentarily she would be asleep and as always, he would scoop her up and put her in bed. Before her eyes could close all the way, Snape growled out in pain. Anya jumped up and knew exactly what was happening. He lifted his sleeve to see his mark glowing and moving around, this time darker than ever and Snape immediately knew that something was wrong. Anya looked up at him and said, "I knew things were going too well..." Snape, with pain plastered all over his face replied, "I love you. Stay here. I will be back." Anya nodded as he leaned down to kiss her before pulling away in agony. With a cloud of black smoke, he was gone. </p><p>The clock struck midnight and Snape still had not returned. Anya was beginning to become worried as he had left nearly five hours ago. Feeling as though she was merely being paranoid, Anya went to the large bookshelf across the room and began to browse the titles. Finding another muggle piece of literature, she sat down in front of the fireplace and began to read. By the time she reached chapter twelve, Anya noticed that it was now three in the morning and there was still no sign of Snape. Scared that they had been found out, Anya put out the fire and prayed that she could call Harry through the floo. Maybe he would know something. She reached her head in the stone fireplace to call for him. Receiving no response, she turned to rest her back on the cold stone wall and began to cry. She had no idea what to do next. Within a few moments, the embers began to spit and sizzle and a face peered through the red hot ash. It was Harry and Anya was somewhat relieved. "Harry!" She scrambled to sit up. "Anya what's wrong? You two aren't suppose to be back for like another week. I thought we wouldn't hear from you until then." Anya nodded and pushed some hair behind her ear. "I know, but Severus was called away around seven and he still isn't back. I'm afraid that we have been found out. Can you help me?" Harry went silent for a moment before saying, "Where do they normally meet?" Anya racked her brain to try to remember if he had told her any of that information before and she kept coming up empty. "I don't know. He has never mentioned it before. Perhaps Malfoy Mannor?" What are the chances?" Harry sighed, "Pretty high, I'm afraid. I don't know what I will be able to do. Some aurors were fired recently for infiltrating the mannor in search of incriminating evidence against Lucius Malfoy. We know that he is up to something, but we can't pinpoint what. I tell you what... You stay by the floo and I will see if I can get some aurors sent out to poke around. I'll give you a call back in a few hours, just hold tight. Here is Nathan. He wants to talk to you." Anya felt a little bit better but couldn't help but feel as though this was going to end badly. Nathan pushed through the ash. "Hey sweetie, what's going on?" Anya sighed once more. "Nathan, something is wrong. Severus left around seven and still isn't back. He told me to stay here but I can't help but feel like he is in trouble." Nathan could be heard whispering to Ginny and said, "Ginny said Harry just left to see what he can do. This may be far fetched, but have you reached out to Dumbledore?" Anya shook her head. "No. You know he isn't exactly fond of our relationship. I don't want to drag him into this when I have no idea where his mind is at the moment." Nathan said, "Ginny said, and I agree, that getting him involved may be the next step if Severus isn't found by daybreak. He may be against your relationship, but Snape is still his spy. If something happens to him, then Dumbledore's secrets could be spilled. I don't think he wants that, you know?" Anya nodded and said, "Perhaps you're right. If he is not back by daybreak, I will contact him." Nathan smiled half heartedly. "That's my girl. It will be okay. We will find him and everything will be alright. Until then, just hold tight. We may have to come get you later." Anya agreed and the fireplace went dark before erupting into flames once more. Anya picked up her book and began to read to pass the time. </p><p>Chapter twenty-six came and went and Anya was beginning to become restless. Suddenly, she felt a draft and looked up from her book. There stood a tall, dark figure standing just behind the couch. Anya stood quickly, keeping her back to the fireplace. She called out, "Who are you?" The figure lowered its hood. "HARRY!" Anya ran to him and hugged him. "Anya grab your things. We have to go now." She scrambled to gather her belongings and asked, "What about Severus? What if he comes back and I'm not here?" Harry grabbed her suitcase and her hand. "Come on Anya!" Before she could take another breath, Harry grabbed her tightly and disapparated to the Burrow. They arrived at the outer wards, landing in a pond. As she climbed out of the water, she began to vomit, not being prepared for their quick departure. Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her up, dragging her quickly towards the house. Wet and confused, Anya asked question after question along the way with no response from Harry.  He pulled her inside and quickly lifted another ward at the door before dropping her bag and hugging her. "I'm sorry, Anya but some of our guys have been captured. I needed to get you out before they found out about you." Anya stood dripping in the middle of the kitchen floor. "What happened, Harry?" He slumped down into a chair before saying, "Snape is at Malfoy Mannor. Some of my spare aurors went to search the property and several were found. I have no idea what is happening at the moment as we lost all contact with them. Snape is safe from what I was told an hour ago but now I have lost all communication with my men and I have to figure out how to get them out before something happens to them." Anya sat in a chair opposite him and asked, "How can I help?" He reached over to grab the bottle of bourbon from the counter and took a drink before he responded, "I'm not sure. Nathan is there right now, trying to figure out how to get the guys out. Kingsley has contacted Dumbledore and things are happening from all angles." Anya blinked quickly, "What about Volde..." She was cut off. "Don't say his name! He will find us! His name is a tracker now. There was no sign of him. We think he left just before my guys got there. Anya this is serious. We can't afford to lose anymore followers." Anya nodded, looking around at the dark kitchen. "Where is everyone?" Harry lowered his head onto the table before saying, "I sent Ginny and Molly to be with Remus and Tonks. I will send you too but I didn't have time in the moment earlier." Anya shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere. You need my help and I want to make sure Severus is alright." Harry looked up from the bottle that he was currently nursing and said, "No, it is too dangerous. I need you to be with Ginny." Anya, frustrated that he wasn't listening, replied, "I cannot leave. I have to help, Harry!" Harry stood quickly and the table shifted forward, "You will do as you're told! This war cannot be won singlehandedly and I don't need you getting hurt! Go to Remus. Be with Ginny and your mum. They need you there." Frustrated and overwhelmed, Anya said, "What about you? What about Nathan and those men in Malfoy Mannor? What about Severus, Harry?" Harry put the cork in the bottle of bourbon and said, "We will all be fine. When it is safe, I will come get you all and we can go back to our daily lives. Until then, this is how things need to be. Remus is waiting for you. Just please, please do as you're told this time, Anya." Anya grabbed her bags and said, "Let's get on with it then." Harry walked over to her and grabbed her hand and with a blink of an eye, they were gone. </p><p>Harry and Anya's feet hit wet pavement when they arrived in Lupin's neighborhood. The sun was beginning to rise and Anya could see that surrounding her were cookie cutter houses sitting uncomfortably close to one another. She realized suddenly that she had never been to Lupin's home before and was unaware of which one was his. The last time she saw him was when she visited his son Teddy at Tonk's mother's home, but she never thought about paying them a visit otherwise as she knew that Remus worked at Hogwarts now. Harry grabbed her hand once more and they walked through the neighborhood, stopping in front of the green house at the very end of the street. Walking up to the door, Anya knocked as Harry stood at the edge of the driveway. Tonks opened the door and immediately grabbed her, pulling her in for a tight hug as she waved at Harry before closing the door. Harry watched to make sure that Anya made it inside before he disapparated. </p><p>Once inside, Anya was flooded with hugs and questions. Becoming overwhelmed, she stepped back with her hands raised and Molly could be heard over the small crowd saying, "Give her a moment to breathe!" She grabbed Anya's hand and said, "Sweetheart, take a moment to relax and then tell us what is going on." Anya nodded, sat down in the nearest armchair and then spoke. "All I know is that Severus was with me then he was called away and never returned. Harry just told me that a few aurors were captured and he along with Kingsley as well as several others are going to try to fix all of this. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but now we cannot say you-know-who anymore because now it is a tracker? When did that even start?" Tonks looked down for a moment and said, "About a week or so ago. Apparently wizarding folks of all kinds are being taken if they say his name. His followers just appear like a cloud of black smoke and then they just dissapear the same way." Anya shook her head in disbelief. Remus walked through the small sea of people and said, "Anya, dear, there you are..." He reached his hands out to grab hers and pulled her into a hug. "I hear congratulations are in order." He held up her hand to inspect her engagement ring, causing a small ruckus to break out. All of the women in the room flocked to her hand and wanted all of the details. After a few moments, Anya said, "How did you know about the engagement, Remus?" Lupin gave a tired smile and said, "Severus stopped by on his way to the Mannor. He wanted to make sure that you and everyone else would be able to take refuge here. I told him you are all most welcome here." Anya blinked slowly and looked down before asking, "So he knew where he was going?" Remus nodded and said, "Yes. He seemed a bit off in all honesty. I think he knew something was going to happen when he got there and wanted to warn us all. Did Harry tell you that he is alive? One of the aurors caught a glimpse of him before he was captured." Anya nodded. "That makes me feel better but I cannot help but wish that I was able to help in some way. Being here just makes me feel guilty. I want to be where I am of use." Remus smile faded. He took her hand and said, "You are of plenty use here, Anya. We want you to stay. Trust me when I say that we are all well protected here and things will be able to go back to normal once we get the aurors out and the heat dies down. Until then, please make yourself comfortable." Anya nodded as he left the room, leaving her to answer questions about her engagement. </p><p>The next few days went by slowly for Anya. There had been no contact from Snape and Harry was unable to give her any answers when she asked about him. Everyday she would help with making food, cleaning up and helping to take care of the children just to pass the time. One rainy evening once the children were put to bed, Anya sat on the window seat in the kitchen and stared out into the night. She watched as the raindrops rolled down the window, forming small pools on the sill. Tonks walked in and saw Anya staring off into the distance. She hated seeing her friend like this and so, with a wave of her hand, she summoned a bottle of firewhiskey and a few glasses from the cupboard. She went in the other room to grab Ginny, Molly and Fred's wife Angela. The women all walked into the room and called for her to have a drink with them. Anya had to admit, she needed a stiff drink after the week she had just had. She sat down at the table and Tonks said, "Alright ladies. Let's have a toast. To our men that are constantly fighting for the greater good, to Anya's engagement and to us having one another because when it all comes down to it, all you need is family." They all lifted their glasses, clinked them together and took a swig, except for the overly pregnant Ginny who just sat with an empty glass. Anya swallowed hard with tears forming at the corners of her eyes and before she knew it, she had refilled her glass four times. When she reached for the bottle on the fifth round, Tonks reached her hand out and laid it on top of her own. She as well as the other women had their heads turned, looking towards the sitting room. Anya looked at her and turned her head to see what they were all staring at. There in the doorway stood Snape, battered, bruised and bleeding from the side of his mouth. He was leaning against the doorframe for support and turned his back to it, sliding down to the floor. Anya immediately yelled his name and jumped from her seat, scurrying across the floor to get to him. She put her hands on his face and began kissing his cheeks and lips, all the while crying. She looked him over, and stared into his eyes looking for some sort of response, but he slowly closed them and his breathing became shallow. She called for Molly and Tonk's help as they had been circled around the two and they sprang into action, grabbing first aid supplies. Anya began patting him down and reaching into his shirt pockets for the healing potions that he kept on his person at all times. Finding one, a blood rejuvination potion, she tilted his head back and poured it in, clasping her hand over his mouth and waiting for it to flow down his throat. Not finding anything else of use other than a pepper up potion, she poured it in his mouth as well and waited. He stirred a bit and Anya leaned him forward, calling his name and patting his face. His eyes slowly opened and he reached up to touch Anya's face. She kissed his palm and held his hand, placing it in her lap as Molly dabbed a cut on his cheek with a rag soaked in alcohol. He made a hissing noise and Anya grabbed the rag from her, dabbing it on each cut he had. She unbuttoned his shirt to check for wounds and upon finding none, she noticed bruising that was more substantial than what was on his face. Removing his shirt, she applied a healing salve to his abdomen and ribcage, allowing it to take effect before she helped him to his feet. </p><p>Anya stood and asked Tonks to help her move him to the bedroom that she was staying in. The two women shuffled their way into the room, laying him as gently as they could on the bed. He hissed once again and Anya apologized repeatedly, applying more salve everywhere that she could see. Tonks left the room when he was no longer writhing in pain and she knew that Anya had everything under control. Tonks brought him a glass of water to which Anya helped him drink and after a few sips, he waved his hand to signal enough. Once all was quiet again, Anya asked him, "What happened? I was so worried about you!" Snape blinked slowly before clearing his throat. "I cannot leave again." Anya, confused asked, "You mean our trip?" He nodded as much as he could before continuing, "He was searching for me and the wards kept him out until one fell. He still does not know about you or us. The others... One auror is dead. I could not save him. Harry and Nathan were able to get the others out. Dumbledore..." He breathed in deeply for a moment before continuing. "Dumbledore is requesting that I stay within the castle walls until the war is over. He has no idea what is coming. No one does..." Anya's eyes began to well up again and she said, "I am so glad that you are alright and I am thankful that you were able to make it back to me. What can I do for you? Do you need anything?" Snape shook his head slightly before saying, "Stay with me." With those words, sleep overtook him and Anya climbed into bed with him and placed a hand on his chest, feeling the rise and fall with each breath he took. In that moment, she was thankful that he had made it out of the torture alive but deep down she knew that things were going to become a million times worse, much sooner than they expected.</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. The Auror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya helps as much as she can...</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before Anya could fall asleep, she heard a commotion just outside the door. Not sure as to what was happening, she jumped up and ran towards the noise. Upon openeing the door she saw Harry holding up a man in a black cloak who was very obviously bleeding from the temple. Molly grabbed the first aid kit and motioned for Harry to lay the man on the couch. Anya immediately jumped in to assist and in the process of cleansing his head wound, realized that she knew the man. It was Oliver Wood. He had recognized her and he reached up to touch her hand before losing consciousness. She looked towards Harry in alarm and said, "What the hell is going on?" Before Harry could respond, Nathan stumbled out of the floo with another cloaked man. This time, the other auror was conscious and only had what appeared to be a broken ankle. Nathan called out, "There are others! Stand clear of the floo!" Before they knew it, four more aurors came through the floo system, all suffering in one way or another. Molly, Tonks, Anya and Angela assisted in caring for each person and when everyone was settled and resting as comfortably as possible, Molly asked Nathan and Harry, "What happened? Why are you two not telling us anything?" Nathan, who was sitting back in an armchair with his hand covering his eyes said, "We walked into a Death Eater lair, mum. We had no chance of making it out of there whole. We suppose you-know-who had just left because everyone was removing their cloaks and masks when we went in to retrieve the missing aurors. There had to be at least thirty of them there... I don't know how we are here right now, to be honest." Anya went up to him and wrapped her arms around him as he kissed the side of her head, he returned the hug and Harry stood up from the table where he sat with Ginny. He looked around the room at everyone and said, "The war is coming. We have to be prepared. I know Dumbledore said not to congregate but we have to get everyone in one space to talk this thing through. When the time comes, we need all the help we can get." George was leaning against a closet door when he piped up, "Yeah but what about the rat? Did you ever figure out who they are? No! So you just want us to group together and offer ourselves up to you-know-who because that is what you are saying right now." Harry got defensive and said, "And what would you have us do, George? Joke it off? Funny it away? This is real. This threat is real and it is coming for us all. What do you want me to do?" George stood closer to him and said, "All I know is that we didn't elect you as a leader, Potter. You may be family now, but you are no leader. We should all have a say in what is going on since this affects us all. Put it to a vote? What say everyone?" He looked around the room and there was silence. Everyone looked at one another before Remus chimed in. "This is not the time to be arguing amongst ourselves. Perhaps we should revisit this once everyone has rested and Severus is awake to tell us what he knows." He looked around and then pointed at the pair and said, "Until then, I suggest that any issue between you two dissolves immediately. You are brothers, act like it!" Silence struck the room once room more and everyone went their separate ways. Anya turned to Nathan and said, "How bad is it, Nathan?" With the look of fear flashing across his face, he replied, "We are fucked, Anya. We aren't making it out of this one. Not this time." Anya felt her stomach drop as she looked around the room at all of the injured aurors and their family members. She was afraid and what was worse was that Severus and Nathan were scared as well and that never happened. She looked back at him and asked, "Can I get you some tea?" He nodded and she came back a few moments later with a full mug of tea and a bottle of whiskey. She handed him both and he poured a large amount into the mug and drank it quickly, not wanting to savor the taste but to gain the liquid courage quickly. Before long, the two were sitting at the kitchen table with Harry, Ginny, Tonks, Remus and Molly passing around the bottle once more. Anya glanced in her mothers direction and noticed how old she looked this night. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, but Anya could tell that it was more than that. She cleared her throat and said, "I just hope your father shows up soon. He went to gather some friends that contacted him recently. When we leave for the Burrow tomorrow evening, hopefully they will all be there waiting for us to return." Anya reached forward and grabbed her mothers hand and said, "You know dad... He's a bit slow in his old age. Likes to take his time... He will be there." Molly gave her the best smile that she could muster and nodded, patting her hand softly before taking another shot. Eventually one by one, the table emptied as everyone went to sleep for a few hours before the sun came up and the injured needed to be tended to. </p><p>The next morning, Anya awoke early. She felt the rise and fall of Snape's chest and looked over his wounds and bruising. There was little improvement, but improvement nonetheless. She got up and changed clothes, reaching for the pepper up potion that she left on the dresser just a few hours before. Placing it quietly on the table beside Snape's side of the bed, she penned a note for him and left the room. She wandered into the sitting room where a few of the injured aurors could be found wandering around or awake talking to one another. Oliver saw her walking through the kitchen and said, "Anya... I never thought that I would see you again. How have you been?" Anya patted his leg and he moved his legs farther over, still laying down. She sat on the edge of the couch and said, "A right bit better than you, I can imagine. How is your head? Let me check." He leaned forward as she leaned in to check his wound. The salve had worked and the injury was much smaller than it had been the night before. "It looks much better, Oliver. How are you feeling?" He smiled at her and said, "Much better since you showed up." Anya blushed before saying, "Well I can tell that you are in high spirits, eh? I didn't know that you were an auror, Oliver." He smiled once more and replied, "You never asked, dearest. Our conversations have been rather short, you know. How have you been, Anya? I heard you don't work for the ministry anymore." Anya nodded and sighed. "No I don't. Umbridge canned me a long time ago, actually. Now I just bake from home. Turns out I am rather gifted with a whisk." Oliver chuckled, "You really are. Your dinners are legendary, you know." Anya smiled and asked, "Do you need anything? Tea maybe?" He nodded and Anya brewed tea for him as well as the other three that were awake. He thanked her and said, "Even your tea tastes good..." She sat back down on the edge of the couch and smiled weakly. He reached for her hand and said, "You know, Anya... I was thinking... Perhaps when I am on the up and up, you and I could get dinner sometime? You know, one that you don't have to cook?" Anya smiled weakly once more and pulled her hand away gently. "Oliver, that's not an option. You see, Severus and I are engaged." Oliver gave her a look of confusion and replied, "Severus? You mean Snape? You're marrying him?! You can't be serious, Anya. Did we or did we not just almost risk our lives yesterday and this past week because of those Death Eater pieces of shit? And here you are... Going to marry one of them! No! You're joking!" Anya became aggrivated and said, "Yes, Snape and just so you know, even though he holds the title of Death Eater, he is not one. You know he has been a spy for Dumbledore for over a decade. You don't know him, so do us both a favor and just stop, Oliver." Oliver, looking disgusted and frustrated replied, "Anya, you can't be serious! Death Eater or not, he cannot give you a real life. Do you really want to be known as the wife of the enemy?" Anya stood up and turned to leave before saying, "He is not the enemy and I will not stand for this kind of talk about him. You have no idea who he is. I suggest you keep your comments and feelings to yourself." Before walking away, Oliver reached his hand up and grabbed hers. "Anya, please. I'm not trying to ruin your relationship, I just want you to think about what you are doing. You don't have to marry him. You have time to back out. I'm asking for you to consider spending your life with someone who isn't connected to evil." Anya pulled her hand away once more and said, "Like who? You?" Oliver said, "Maybe! Maybe not! Either way someone else can give you what you want and need without the added drama and danger. Please." Anya shook her head and said, "Oliver, you are crossing boundaries, here. Get some rest. Feel better." With that, Anya walked outside for some fresh air. She had no idea why Oliver said those things, but it wasn't something that she hadn't heard before.</p><p>Dumbledore arrived bright and early later that morning with a group of healers for the injured aurors. One by one, they took them via floo to the hospital and Anya as well as the other women in the house were able to sit down and take a break momentarily before it was time to make lunch for everyone and return home. Anya couldn't wait to be back in her bed with Snape but she couldn't help but worry about the road ahead. If Nathan was right, they had to figure out what to do and fast. All they could do was wait for Snape to wake up so that they could discuss what to do next. Until then, Anya sat in an armchair and rested. </p><p>When Severus awoke that afternoon, he watched as dust particles floated through the air, sparkling in the sun rays that were shining through the slats of the window blinds. He moved slowly as he sat up, using his forearms to hold himself up. Looking around the room, he saw a glass of water on the bedside table with a small vial of purple liquid and a note that said, 'Drink Me' on it. Being a man of science and common sense, he pulled the stopper and smelled it, inspecting it for poison. Once he was sure that it was safe, he downed it, knowing that the vial contained pepper up potion and he was more than ready to feel energized as weakness was not something that he was use to. After a few moments of solitude, Snape slowly stood up beside the bed, stretching his arms and popping his knuckles. Hearing stirring in the bedroom, Anya knocked on the door lightly and peered into the room before stepping inside and saying, "Good afternoon, sleepy head. How are you feeling?" Snape ran his hands through his hair before saying, "Like I have been tortured for days on in, you?" Anya's smiled faded and she said, "Here are some clean clothes. The bathroom is located at the end of the hall if you want to shower. I'll just be going..." She turned to leave and Snape called out, "Anya, wait. Don't go. I'm sorry, I'm just in pain. Forgive my tone." Anya nodded and said, "Understandable. I'm going to go check on the others. I'm glad that you're awake." She turned to leave and closed the door behind her. Standing in the middle of the room alone, Snape began internally kicking himself for his attitude towards her after all that she had done for him. He made his way to the bathroom and took what had to have been the most relaxing shower that he had ever experienced in hopes that he would feel better. Exiting the bathroom feeling like a new man, Snape made his way down the hall fully dressed and ready to face the questioning that was inevitable. When he made his way into the kitchen, Molly looked up from the stove, smiling weakly. "Good afternoon, Severus. How are you feeling, dear?" He nodded briefly before saying, "Much better, thank you, Molly. I appreciate everything that you and everyone else did for me last night. If it wasn't for the three of you, I may not be here today, so once again, thank you." She grabbed his hand and said, "You are a part of our family, Severus. I would do it all over again." He smiled softly at her response and looked around the room to find Anya. Not seeing her anywhere, he asked if she had seen her. She mentioned that Anya had gone out the back garden gate for some fresh air. He thanked her and wandered to the back door, watching Anya sit on the swing set just on the other side of the garden gate. Her curly hair blew in the cool breeze and he watched as she slowly put her face in her hands. As he reached to pull the glass door to comfort her, he saw her look up and walk forward, away from the house. She picked up speed after a moment and he could finally see what she was running towards. Sirius.</p><p>Anya sat on the swingset outside, thinking about how the next few days would play out. Overhwelmed with the unknowns, she put her face in her hands and felt the tears start to flow. Hearing a voice in the distance, coming from the tree line, Anya looked up to see Sirius emerge from the forrest with a few others in tow. She stood up and walked towards him. As he saw her, he broke out into a run, causing her to do the same. As they grew closer, Sirius held out his arms and they collided. He wrapped his arms around her tightly with his hand in her hair, stroking it as he talked to her. He placed his hands on her face and pulled away from her long enough to see the tears in her eyes and he hugged her again. "Where have you been, love? Everyone said that you and Snape had been connected at the hip but I haven't seen you since our fight. Are you okay? What is going on?" Anya pulled away from him to say, "I'm fine. Where have you been? You dissapeared, too!" The two went back and forth for a moment before Kingsley walked out of the forrest with Arthur and Ron. Anya broke away from Sirius to run towards her father. She happily embraced him and as the small group walked towards the house, Anya could see Snape standing just outside the garden gate and for the first time in over a week, she felt hopeful.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Guess Who</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A plan has been set in stone.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anya walked up to the garden gate holding her father's hand. She stopped just before she reached Snape and allowed Arthur and the others to head inside. Before opening the door, Arthur stopped in front of Snape, allowing the others to enter and he held out his hand. Snape shook it and with the other hand, Arthur patted him on the shoulder before walking inside. Sirius walked behind him but paused when he reached Anya and Snape. Turning to Anya, he said, "Are you coming in, love?" Anya nodded and Sirius glared at Snape as he walked slowly past him towards the door. "You look like hell, Snape." Snape clinched his jaw and replied, "Always the charmer, Black..." Anya could once again feel the tension between the two men and grabbed Snape's hand and asked, "How are you feeling?" Snape turned his attention back to her after he watched Sirius make his way inside. "Better, thanks to you." Anya smiled up at him as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and they stood in an embrace for a few moments before Tonks popped her head out the door and said, "Anya, Molly says lunch is ready." The two released one another and headed inside.</p><p>The table was set with tons of food as always. Everyone sat down to eat in silence before Sirius, frustrated by everyone's lack of communication, commented, "So are we just going to act as though nothing has happened or are we going to question the Death Eater in the room?" Snape dropped his fork on his plate and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms to wait for the downpour of questions and comments to start flooding in. Remus replied, "Sirius is right. We need to be talking now. Severus is awake." He looked at Snape before saying, "Perhaps you can give us an idea as to what is going on?" Sirius laughed, "Yes! Do tell us, Severus. Let's hear what you have to say on the matter..." Snape shifted in his seat. Irritated and in pain, he asked, "What do you want to know?" Remus leaned in his seat and asked, "What do you know of you-know-whos where abouts?" Snape replied, "I believe that he is staying at Malfoy Mannor. As I do not visit there unless I am called upon, I am uncertain of this, but this theory makes the most sense." Fred piped up, "Of course he's staying there! You don't think he is just wandering about out in the open, do you? He has to be staying put for his safety. He knows that someone will take shots at him if he goes out alone. That's why he has so many of his Death Eater scum around." Snape gave a brief nod before Arthur chimed in, "Perhaps we should get Dumbledore back here. He will not like us gathering together like this without him present." Remus said, "We do not have time to wait for him to have this discussion. He cannot be here all the time, Arthur. You know he has his own issues to deal with at the moment." Arthur squinted his eyes and said, "Perhaps you're right, but he needs to be included. This is his fight, too." Sirius began patting Arthur on the back slowly as Remus went back to addressing Snape. "Now Severus, I know that you have been through a lot the past week, but during your time at the mannor, do you remember anything? Any conversations? Any planning? Anything at all?" Snape looked down at his hands that were folded in his lap. He slowly began clenching his fists and Anya saw this, reaching over to grab his hand. "They are still very much interested in luring Anya to the mannor. I am not completely sure what their plans are, but I do know that she needs to remain under the protection of aurors. As far as Volde- you-know-who is concerned, I am unaware of his intentions. The last thing I remember hearing was the date November twelfth. I do not know the importance of the date, but I do know that whatever it is, it involves a lot of destruction." George pushed himself away from the table and said, "That's it! I'm done! Something is coming and somehow no one knows anything?! What good is it having a spy within our ranks if he can't tell us shit? For all we know, he is probanly snitching for you-know-who's side as well! Giving the scum our coordinates and letting our men die!" Snape stood up quickly and Harry put an arm across his chest as he yelled, "You forget your place, Mr. Weasley! The last time I checked, I have served within this organization for well over a decade. If I was going to switch sides, don't you think that I would have done it by now? Or perhaps before the first wizarding war?  I was there! How dare you falsely accuse me of such madness!! I live everyday in constant fear for your sister's safety because of the position I serve for the Order and for Dumbledore and for the piece of shit causing all of this violence!" Harry stepped in front of Snape to try to calm him down. Nathan piped up, "It's not worth it, Severus. Please, rest. You have been through so much already." Anya reached up to grab his hand and he pulled it away, causing her to jump. "No. I'm beyond fucking done with being accused of being a lying coward by people that I have fought for, risked my life for and protected time and time again just to have them turn on me at the drop of a hat! Which one of you would care to change places with me? Allow yourself to be subject to torture in my place? Any takers?? Anyone?? That's what I fucking thought. Sit your ignorant, cowardly ass down, Mr. Weasley. You bore me." With those words, George sat down slowly before saying, "Dick." Snape remained standing as he looked around the room before reaching out to hold Anya's hand. "I have told you everything I know. I am sorry that it is not enough." Anya stood, wrapping her arm around his. "It is more than enough, Severus. Thank you for everything that you do." The pair sat down, only for Arthur to raise his glass and say, "Here, here! To Severus! For sacrificing himself everyday for the greater good!" Sirius looked around the table and eventually raised his glass for a split second before downing his drink in one gulp. Ginny rose to her feet with the assistance of Harry and said, "I say we each go about doing our best to recruit allies. If November twelfth is going to be when he plans his attack, we need to be ready." Molly piped up, "You, missy will be relaxing and taking it easy. That baby is due any moment now and you need to be focusing on him." Tonks looked around and said, "I agree with Ginny, but I definitely agree with Molly as well. Ginny, you need to focus on nothing but the baby as those of us with children should do the same right now. Anya, you need to stay hunkered down. If you want, you can stay here with Remus and I. The Malfoy's won't think to look for you here." Snape chimed in, "It is not a bad idea..." Anya jerked her head to look at him. "You are okay with this?" Snape nodded. "They live off of the wizarding grid here, Anya. They have remained undetected for at least a year now. This is the safest place for you to be whenever you are not with me." Anya shook her head, "No. It is too far away. I can't not see you. What about...?" Before she could finish her statement, Nathan said, "I agree with him, Anya. You need to stay here." Anya sat with her mouth ajar for a moment before saying, "This is ludicrous. You all are insane. No offense, Remus and Tonks, I appreciate the offer but I am exhausted by everyone constantly having a say in what happens in my life without even asking me what I think." "We aren't trying to upset you dear..." Molly said with a small smile. "We just want to make sure that you are safe." Anya shook her head in disbelief. Slowly but surely she saw her freedom floating away each time someone opened their mouth and she was sick of it. </p><p>By the end of lunch, there was a plan in place. All of the aurors would continue their search for allies along with the help of the Order. Ginny and Anya were told to stay with Tonks and Remus for the forseeable future and Snape was to go back to the castle and continue his position as a spy. Before anyone could notice, Anya disapparated and landed at the safe point just outside of Grimmauld Place. She entered the house and went straight to her room to pack her bags since she would no longer be staying there for the time being. Upon entering her room, Anya immediately sensed that something was wrong. She could tell that a lot of her things were moved and misplaced and she began making a mental checklist of what went where before she and Snape went away. All Anya could come up with was some worthless items and a few articles of clothing that were missing, but she didn't think too much about it before going back to packing her things. </p><p>When she had her large zippered suitcase full, she turned to leave, only to see Nathan standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey Nathan. I'm all packed. We can go back now, I suppose." Nathan smiled and said, "I don't think so, sweetie," before walking towards the edge of her bed. Confused, Anya asked, "Why? What's going on?" Nathan began to roam her room momentarily before stopping at her vanity. "You know, you really have some good stuff here..." He played with her perfume bottles, used her lip balm and then grabbed her hairbrush, shoving it into his back pocket. Anya was starting to become concerned and said, "Come on, Nathan. Let's go before everyone gets back." Nathan looked at her through the vanity mirror before saying, "Do you like this shade of lip balm on me?" Anya cocked an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, sure. Keep it if you want." He pocketed it and turned on his heels quickly to smile at her once more. He said, "Hey! I have a riddle. Wanna hear it?" Anya nodded before saying, "Sure, but make it quick." Nathan said, "Okay! What do you call a home baker who secretly beds a Death Eater?" Anya immediately knew something was wrong and took a step backwards. She said, "What?" Nathan let out a chuckle before saying, "Busted." Just then his chuckle and his appearance changed and the person that she once thought was her best friend had now morphed into Lucius Malfoy. He towered over her as he continued to chuckle deeply. "Anya, my sweet! How have you been? Oh wait... I already know the answer to that! Say, what do you say to taking a little trip to see a very special friend of mine, huh?" Anya continued stepping backwards and she immediately felt her desk ram into her back as she scurried around the room trying to avoid Lucius. "Please, Lucius. No! Please!" She screamed out to him in hopes that he would think about he was about to do, but it was no use. He used his wand to cast a body binding charm and Anya fell on her bed, flat as a board with tears streaming from her eyes. She pleaded once more with him. "Please, Lucius. Please don't do this! Severus is your friend! You two have known each other for years! Please, please don't do this!" Lucius smiled wickedly at her before saying, "You really are beautiful, Anya. It would be such a waste to take you to the Dark Lord so soon. Did you know that I have a bit of a crush on you? It's true... I see why Severus is so smitten with you, but please don't ruin this moment with your needless crying, my love." He used his wand once more to remove all evidence of her tears and said, "You're absolutely flawless. Even when you are upset, you seem to radiate the type of beauty a man would be proud to see in his bed. Why don't we just check to see how flawless you really are underneath those clothes, shall we?" He leaned forward and was centimeters from her face before the bedroom door blasted open and a burst of bright light was sent through the room, hitting Lucius directly in the chest and surrounding him, rendering him immobile on the floor. Anya, with tears now streaming down her face once more, began hyperventilating as she looked towards the door and saw Snape with Kingsley right behind him. With his wand still drawn, Snape called out to her and immediately began to remove the charm, moving closer to her bed. Sobbing, her body went limp as it landed on the bed and she scurried away from him, pushing herself against the headboard and then onto the floor. Snape kneeled in the floor and held up his hands to show that he meant her no harm and said, "Anya, my love, it's me. I promise I will not harm you. Look." He placed his wand on the floor and pushed it towards her. She scrambled to grab it and through sobs continued to inch backwards away from him, not believeing that he was who he claimed to be. How could she trust that this was her Severus when her Nathan just turned out to have been Malfoy all along. Severus, with pain and compassion plastered across his face, said to her, "Anya, please. Come to me. I will take you to be with your family, I swear. Look. Kingsley is here as well." She looked up at Kingsley and he gave her a small wave. Anya continued to inch away from him and eventually ran into the wall. She was cornered and could think of nothing more to do than pull up her knees and hide her face behind them. Snape looked up at Kingsley who said, "Anya dear, let's go home to see your mum and dad. I know they will be missing you by now." Anya didn't budge and the crying didn't stop. Severus reached his hand out and touched her arm lightly. She flinched and tightened her grip on her legs before screaming, "You are not him! Get away from me!" Severus then understood what was happening. He said, "I have an idea. How about we each ask a question that has an answer that only the other person knows. That way we can be positive that we are who we say we are. How does that sound?" Anya still didn't budge. Kingsley said, "I'll start. Severus, what creature was sitting on my desk the first time that we met? Also, what was it eating?" Snape took a moment to think and said, "It was a niffler and it was eating a chocolate coin." Kingsley belted out a laugh that made Anya jump. "Right you are, Severus. I still have that little nuisance. Now you ask me something." Snape nodded and thought once again, "Okay then. What potion did I offer you after the first wizarding war?" Kingsley's smile faded. "A sleeping draught because I was unable to sleep after that." Snape nodded and slowly Anya lifted her head to see the two and their back and forth. "That's correct. So Anya, obviously we are who we say we are. Why don't you ask us something to make yourself feel better?" Anya looked up at Kingsley and through tear filled eyes asked, "What were my parent's names?" Kingsley once again had a look of sorrow on his face before answering. "Alvin and Margaret. Alvin owned a sweets shop and Margaret was a stay at home mum after she had you but her passion in her younger years was ballet." Anya quickly jumped up to cling to Kingsley who hugged her back with tears in his own eyes. She turned her head and said, "Your turn. What color was the towel you draped around me in the bathroom at the cottage when Winnie scared me?" Snape immediately responded. "Pink. It had my grandmothers monogram on it." Anya released Kingsley and lunged for Snape who held her tightly against himself before placing his hands on her face and inspecting her for injuries. "I am so sorry, my love. I am so sorry. He didn't touch you did he?" Anya shook her head. "He was using polyjuice potion to impersonate Nathan. Where is the real Nathan, Severus?" Snape looked over at the very unconscious Lucius Malfoy and said, "Kingsley, could you please take Anya downstairs and fix her some tea? Lucius and I are about to talk man to man..." He nodded before reaching out to grab Anya's hand. Snape held the other and kissed her before releasing her hand. "I will be right out, love. I promise." Anya went willingly with Kingsley but wondered what was going on in that room.</p><p>Once tea was made, the pair sat side by side at the island in the kitchen making small talk and taking bets on what they thought was going on behind that door. Before long, Snape made his way down the stairs, his hands bloody and his shirt collar tinged red by what looked like blood splatter. Anya saw the state of him and cried out, "Severus! What did you do?!" He went to the sink to wash his hands and said, "I got answers." Kingsley's eyes widened before saying, "Is there a reason for me to go upstairs right now or should we go ahead and call for the hospital to come bag him?" Snape poured himself a cup of tea and replied, "He is alive up there...but just barely. You may want to go check on him after I leave to take Anya back to Remus." Nodding, Kingsley went back to his tea and after a few moments, Severus and Anya left to head back to see the others. It had been more than a long day and Anya was ready to forget the whole thing, but she had a feeling that later that evening, she would need that sleeping draught that Kingsley had talked about.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The Baby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Harry and Ginny become parents!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Anya and Severus arrived back at the Lupin residence, they were met by a sea of people with an even more vast sea of questions. As people began to come closer to Anya, she backed away, straight into Severus who used his arm to turn her and she burried her face in his chest. "Perhaps everyone should give Anya a moment before flooding her with questions. She has had a stressful afternoon and needs to have a chance to relax." Arthur stepped forward and turned his back to them before holding out his arms and saying, "He's right! Give her some space!" Anya slowly turned her face to peer out at the people that were slowly moving away from her. When she felt better, she let go of Severus and sat in the nearest armchair with her back to the fireplace. Molly stood a few feet away from her and said, "Would you like some tea, dear?" Anya nodded and her mother went to the kitchen to fetch it. When she returned with a small tray full of tea and biscuits, Snape kneeled down in front of her and said, "Anya, sweetheart, I need to speak with your father and the others in the next room. I will be right back. Call for me if you need me." Anya nodded as Molly pulled up another chair to sit beside her and the two had tea in silence. Anya leaned sideways in her chair to lay her head on Molly's shoulder and Molly smiled, reaching up to rub her head until she sat back up to take another sip of her tea. </p><p>Once Severus and the other men in the room were done with their meeting, he returned to see Anya standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes as Teddy played in the floor behind her. Not wanting to spook her, Snape cleared his throat to which both Anya and Teddy turned to look at him. Teddy said, "Uncle Severus! Look at the new wand daddy bought me the other day! I didn't show it to you..." Snape crouched down and the boy handed it to him to inspect. He twirled it around in his fingers as Teddy watched on in awe. "This is a very nice wand, Teddy. You should take very good care of it." Teddy smiled and said, "It's not like a grown up wand, Uncle Severus... Mine doesn't do anything but it is nice and mummy said that one day I will get my own that does do things like turn my broccoli into sweets and then I will be happy because broccoli does not taste very good." Snape chuckled before saying, "This is true, but it is good for you and will help you become big and strong. You want to be big and strong, right?" Teddy nodded his head quickly and said, "The biggest and the strongest so that I can beat up baddies like you and daddy do!" Snape's smile faded and Anya watched as he looked down at the toy wand on the floor. He looked back up at Teddy and with the best smile that he could muster, he said, "Well let's just hope that by the time you are big enough to have a real wand, there won't be any baddies left to have to beat up." Teddy smiled once more and went back to playing with his toys before Snape patted him on the head and stood to see Anya watching him. She smiled and Severus made his way to the sink to wrap his arms around her and bring her in for a hug. "How are you feeling?" Anya nodded her head and said, "Fine, I suppose. Much better than I was. I'm still thinking about Nathan, of course but I'm pretty sure mum slipped something in my tea because I feel a million times calmer than I did earlier. She, Tonks and a few others went to the shops for supplies. They asked if I could watch Teddy while they are out. We have been talking, playing and having a great time, haven't we Teddy?" The boy smiled and nodded. "Aunt Anya gave me treats. Mummy and daddy don't let me have sweets before dinner..." Anya winked at him and said, "But it is our secret, right?" The boy nodded once more before gathering his toys and running in his bedroom to play. Severus chuckled softly. "Ah to be four again, eh?" Anya laughed and said, "His energy is constant. It has been since he was a baby. He has his mother's gifts, you know? The child is technically a mere year and a half old but yet, he can transform his appearance at will. His parents change him back every so often but it doesn't matter as he just transforms as soon as they are done. Poor Remus and Tonks." Snape nodded as his thoughts drifted to his daydream from the cottage. Anya, the children, happiness... He shook his head, zoning back in to the present and said, "We need to discuss some things before the end of the night." Anya went back to washing dishes and said, "Oh? Like what?" Snape pulled up a chair and said, "Like how you need to stay here with Remus and your sister..." Anya turned her head momentarily before saying,  "I know." Snape replied, "Good. You know it's for the best. This is still the safest place for you to be." Anya nodded before dropping a cup in the sink, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Snape stood quickly, making his way to her with a broom in hand. He began sweeping up the glass as she apologized constantly. Snape rose from the floor to say, "It's perfectly fine. It was just an accident, love. See? No harm done. Are you alright?" Anya looked straight ahead and replied, "Lucius. He was here. He knows everything. No one is safe now." Snape washed his hands and dried them before saying, "You have nothing to worry about." Anya, frustrated with him, replied, "What? Yes I do! He was impersonating Nathan for Merlin knows how long! He heard all of our plans. He knows where the safe houses are..." Before she could finish her sentence, Snape grabbed her hand and repeated, "You have nothing to worry about." She stared at him blankly and he continued, "Suffice it to say, Lucius knows nothing and even if he did, he would have no way of communicating it to anyone." Anya, with a look of confusion and fear on her face, asked, "What did you do to him, Severus?" Severus let go of her hand and walked back towards the table in silence. She walked towards the table and repeated the question. Severus looked out the window before answering. "I did what I had to do to guarantee your safety." Anya sat across from him at the table and asked, "Which was?" He looked straight ahead at her and replied, "It is not of your concern. Consider the issue handled." Anya went silent. She heard a noise in the other room and said, "Thank you, Severus," before standing to go check on Teddy. </p><p>Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't help but think back to mere hours before when Lucius Malfoy was only centimeters away from laying his hands on Snape's future wife. Anger began bubbling up inside of him again and he thought about when he was alone with Lucius. Using legilimency, he scanned the mans unconscious mind to look for answers. Scrolling through the rolladex of his mind, Snape breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that Malfoy was nothing more than a cowardly pervert after all. The truth was that Lucius did know everything but luckily enough for Snape, Lucius was only looking out for the best interest of what was in his pants rather than for his family and social standing within Voldemort's circle. Severus thought for a moment. If Lucius had not been feeding information to Voldemort and the Death Eaters, then who was the mole within the Order? He peered back inside Malfoy's mind to look for Nathan. He had to figure out what happened to him before he left the house. Scrolling through the past years worth of memories, Snape caught a glimpse of Anya's best friend and paused. It looked as though he was found in a country much farther away than he had anticipated and Malfoy hunted him down, knocking him unconscious and storing his body in a muggle car park. What happened to him after that, he was unsure. There seemed to be no other trace of him in Malfoy's mind.</p><p>Snape watched as the blonde man lay in the floor, unmoving and decided to have some fun. He kicked Lucius in the rib cage, causing him to awaken with a cough and deep breath. "Snape...You've been had, old man. Sleeping with the object of the Dark Lord's desire... You're a dead man." Snape let out a breath through his nose before he said, "I'm not just sleeping with her... I'm marrying her! What say you now, old friend?" Lucius stared up at him from the fetal position and said, "Once word gets to the Dark Lord of your deceit and treachery, I will be a hero for being the one to hand over not only you, but your precious betrothed as well as her disgusting blood traitor family and friends. I'm sure that he will let me watch if I ask nicely, as he creates an heir with her. Think about it Severus... That face, those eyes! Mixed with the blood of the most powerful wizard ever known! Ahhh... I revel in the thought..." The more Lucius spoke, the angrier Snape grew. With the flick of his wand, Malfoy's throat began to close as he choked and gagged on what appeared to be nothing. Snape closed the gap between the two men and said slowly, "You seem to have me confused with someone else, Lucius. You see, I don't intend on allowing you to breathe a word of any of this to anyone. In fact, I don't intend on letting you breathe at all!" He gently released Lucius long enough for him to attempt to catch a quick breath of air before he squeezed tighter and Malfoy turned a dark shade of red. "What's wrong, Lucius? Cat got your tongue? You were awfully loquacious earlier..." Snape held the spell for a moment longer as he said, "Here is how things are going to work... Before I leave this room, you will either be dead or wish that you were dead. Until then, we are going to have some fun." As soon as he finished his sentence, Snape released him and began flicking his wand in quick, random motions. Cuts could be seen forming across Malfoy's chest and face. Blood began spraying in a mist as his movements became sharper and quicker. Snape breathed in before releasing a Crucio curse, sending lightning sharp pain throughout Malfoy's body. He screamed and began flailing on the floor, still confined by Kingsley's binding curse. He pleaded for his life and for Snape to have mercy but all Snape could muster to respond was, "Where was Anya's mercy?" He cast the spell once more and watched as Lucius went unconscious, slumping forward. When Snape realized that he was out, he kneeled down in front of him and with a wave of his hand, wiped Malfoy's memory before leaving him in a puddle of his own blood. Snape rubbed his face, trying to rid himself of the memory of the afternoon. He was exhausted and if he was being completely honest, Anya's offer of living under the radar was beginning to sound better and better. However, there was a war starting soon and he knew that if the Order had any chance of winning it, they needed his help. </p><p>The following weeks were difficult for the couple as Snape continued to stay at the castle to avoid any more problems with Dumbledore. He had been livid that the two took off to spend time alone together, but ultimately he was unable to do anything about it as Severus refused to be his puppet any longer. Anya stayed with Remus and Tonks, looking out for her very pregnant sister as she had become more and more immobile with every passing day. One day, Anya, Tonks and Ginny were standing in the kitchen while Harry, Snape and Remus went over a piece of news that Harry had received from the ministry. The women talked and laughed before Ginny grabbed a bowl of salad to put on the table. She paused half way and the bowl went crashing to the ground. Glass and salad leaves were everywhere as she let out a cry of pain. Anya immediately reached for her, wrapping her arms around her and walking to the couch in the sitting room. Harry ran into the room looking around in alarm with Remus and Severus close behind. He saw Ginny on the couch and made his way to her quickly asking questions and internally losing his mind. Ginny lay breathing hard and growling in pain while Anya kneeled beside her, holding her hand and dabbing her forehead with a hankerchief that Tonks handed her. Anya glanced over at Harry who looked as though he was going to faint and said, "Harry we need to take her to the hospital..." He nodded quickly and scrambled to gather their belongings. Tonks watched as Ginny groaned, realizing that she wasn't going to make it to the hospital in time. She yelled out, "Harry she isn't going to make it to the hospital! She can't disapparate and by the looks of it, this baby is coming soon!" Anya rushed to the fireplace and called for Molly. She wanted to be there for the birth and after having a boat load of children, Anya thought that it would be ideal to have her around in the moment. She made her way back to Ginny who was crying and screaming. Harry patted her hair and she screamed out, "Don't touch me! You did this to me!" He stepped back, giving her space and Remus patted him on the back. "She doesn't hate you, Harry. I went through this with Tonks. This is painful from what I'm told." Snape couldn't believe his ears. "Naturally," he responded to the men who were standing there awestruck. He reached into his chest pocket and found a blue potion bottle. Thrusting it at Tonks, he said, "This should help. It won't take the pain away completely but it will help." Tonks removed the stopper and handed it to Anya who helped lean Ginny forward to take the potion. After a moment, her growls turned into low moans and she was able to speak clearly. "Anya, I'm scared." Anya dabbed her forehead once more and said, "You are doing great. Just try to focus..." Ginny nodded and said, "Where is mum? She should be here!" Anya shrugged at Tonks who said, "I'll check!" She called through the fireplace once more and within minutes, Molly sprung from the opening with her bags in tow. Ginny called out in pain, "Mum! He's coming!" Snape stood just behind the couch, watching Anya hold her sister's hand and coaching her through the waves of contractions while Harry stood just behind her, supervising as best as he could. Molly made her way to the end of the couch to see how far along she was and yelled out, "Someone grab towels!! He's coming!" Remus ran through the house collecting all of the towels he could find and said, "Is this enough?" Molly nodded quickly before laying one down at Ginny's feet. Within five minutes, a cry could be heard. Ginny and Harry had just become parents. The room was filled with oooohs and ahhhhs and the crying had subsided as Ginny cuddled the bundle of blankets. Anya watched the couple as Severus walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek. "You did wonderfully, my love. You're the best birthing coach I have ever seen." Ginny looked up to Anya and smiled. "Thank you for everything, Anya. If it wasn't for you and mum, he would have been born in dad's old Ford. Here... Come hold him." Anya looked at Severus who nudged her towards them. She leaned down and Ginny placed the tiny bundle in her arms. She pulled down the blanket a bit to gaze at the baby's little face and began rocking back and forth as she watched his eyelids flutter, trying to keep him asleep. She walked slowly over to Severus who looked down at the tiny baby in her arms and said, "Good job, you two." Looking up at Severus, she asked, "Do you want to hold him?" Severus took a step backwards before saying, "I really shouldn't..." Anya, slightly entertained by his response, said, "You won't break him... Hold out your arms." Snape did as he was told and held the baby carefully and without moving. Anya smiled at him and said, "That's better, now isn't it?" Snape gave her a small smile before looking back down at the small boy in his arms. He thought to himself that this war had to end soon so that he and Anya could move on with their lives because no matter how uncomfortable he was holding this child in the moment, he knew that if he was ever given the chance to have his own children, he would never let them go. For now, he was jealous of Harry and Ginny, handing the baby back to Anya in one smooth gesture. She handed him back to his parents and Ginny said, "We need to name this little guy..." Harry thought for a moment and said, "You're right. What do you think? I think the name that we settled on would work quite well." Ginny nodded in agreeance before saying, "Welcome to the world, Albus Severus Potter." Anya was speechless and turned to look at Snape who had made his way outside through the back garden gate. He needed some air.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Alone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Severus finds himself alone at the worst time imaginable.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry for the lack of posting. Here is another chapter for you all. Hopefully things slow down soon so I can post as often as I would like.</p><p>Thank you all for reading my story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Following behind him, Anya watched as Snape made his way angrily to the edge of the forest. Shaking his head, he stopped as soon as he reached the fire pit just outside of the tree line and turned to say, "How dare they!" Confused, Anya asked, "What do you mean, Severus?" Leaning his head back and running his hands through his hair in frustration, he replied, "Naming a child after me? Isn't that supposed to be a decision that we make when we have children? At the very least, isn't it customary to discuss these things with the person before you name a child after them?" Anya shrugged. "I suppose they wanted to surprise you. I find it sweet, honestly. Aren't you the tiniest bit flattered? I would be..." Snape looked at her and shook his head. "No, honestly. I wanted the opportunity to keep my name as an option for if I...we...ever have children. Now that option is no longer." Anya gave him a half smile before closing the gap between them and wrapping her arms around his waist. She looked up at him and studied the lines of frustration on his face before replying, "I understand. However, what's done is done. It's over now and like it or not, there is a child in there with your name. Why? Because you are one of the bravest men that anyone has ever encountered and they want their children to carry on the name of an absolute hero. I would find that more than flattering! You and I can figure out names for our children when the time comes, but for now, let them have their happiness." Snape met her gaze for a moment and replied, "Perhaps you're right. However, I can't help but continue to feel overwhelmed by the fact that everyone else's life seems to be moving on swimmingly and yet we are put on hold. It's like we are frozen in time, waiting for someone to release us. I just want what they have with you. I know what I said before when you voiced similar concerns, but now... Now the reality of it all is starting to weigh on me more than it ever has before." Anya leaned forward and kissed him passionately. She pulled away momentarily to say, "We have more than what they have. They may be married and now have a child, but you and I... We are wading through Hell to guarantee that our children will not have to witness the horrors that you have experienced in your years. Harry and Ginny did not have to struggle or fight to guarantee their future together, it just happened. It was easy for them. That's not us. It was never meant to be easy for us. We were meant to see this thing through for the greater good." Snape's small smile faded as he replied softly, "For the greater good..." She kissed him softly once more and held his hand, leading him back towards the house. </p><p>Anya paused as she made her way up the small hill towards the house, staring straight ahead. Snape watched as she stood unblinking and motionless. He walked in front of her and after glancing around, he asked, "Is something wrong?" She did not respond. He waved his hand in front of her face and when she still did not move, he placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. They were dark as usual but this time, Snape could tell that they were vacant, almost as if the light had died within them. He called out to her while giving her shoulders a slight jolt. Suddenly, her eyes lit up again and she smiled widely. Snape stared at her in alarm and asked, "Are you feeling alright?" She continued smiling as she replied, "What's wrong darling?" Snape cocked his head to the side and began slowly making circles around her. Anya never moved her head and her smile never faded, she just continued to stare straight ahead. He reached out for her hand and without warning, she grabbed it forcefully and began walking towards the house, dragging him behind her. Snape, unnerved by her sudden super human strength, haulted in his tracks. Anya spun around with the same eerie smile and asked, "What's wrong, dear? Don't you want to go see the baby? He is your namesake, after all!" She grabbed his hand and went to walk away before she was met with resistance once more. This time, Snape pulled her into himself and wrapped his arms around her to hold her still so that he could examine her closely. He studied her face briefly before noticing a masked figure dressed in a long black robe just on the outskirts of the property standing perfectly still. Snape, fearful of what was going to happen next, grabbed Anya's hand. Pulling her in the direction of the house, Anya would barely budge. She laughed lightheartedly before saying, "It's no use, Severus... They are coming... They know..." Snape quickly removed his wand and cast a sleeping spell, causing her to go limp. He caught her before she hit the ground and with a pop, he disapparated inside. </p><p>Yelling for Harry, Snape swiftly placed Anya on the couch before saying, "Gather your aurors! They are here! Tonks!" Just as she heard her name being called, Tonks popped in the room with Lupin right behind her. Confused, she asked, "What's all the commotion about? There's a sleeping baby in the other room!" Snape yelled once more, "Take Anya, Ginny and the kids to Molly, now." She looked towards the couch and saw Anya unconscious. "What happened?" Snape, aggrivated that she was asking questions in a time like this replied, "She will wake soon. She was being controlled by a Death Eater. I had to put her to sleep in order to break the connection." He looked to Lupin who stood in the kitchen, concerned for his family. Snape snapped, "They are here! Take them and go! NOW TONKS, GO!" With a nod, she ran to Anya and disapparated to the Burrow only to arrive once again to gather Ginny and the children.</p><p>Snape found himself alone with Remus for the first time in over a decade and he was less than thrilled. Lupin began pacing back and forth while Snape tried to quickly formulate a plan. Lupin stopped mid step and asked, "What do you know?" Snape shook his head. "Nothing. I know nothing. I don't know how they found me here. How can they sense me through your wards?" Lupin sat in a kitchen chair and placed his face in his hands. "I don't know, Severus. We should be undetectable. How many are out there?" Unsure, he peered through the slats of the kitchen window and noticed that two were walking around, casting spells at mailboxes and cars, causing as much unnecessary damage as humanly possible. Snape ran a hand through his hair and sat opposite him before saying, "I'm not sure. There are two just outside of the property line that I see right now." Mid sentence, Snape had an epiphany. "The mole," he said. "We still don't know who it is! I bet that is how they know. Quickly! Who has visited the house since the aurors were freed?" Lupin went down the list and neither of the men could peg any of the people on the list as traitors. Snape shook his head and said, "I suppose it doesn't matter right now. I've been found out. They know that I am here and that chances are that I am not alone. We have to figure out a plan because we both know that they are not going to leave quietly." The pair suddenly heard a loud commotion just outside of the house. Snape ran to the window and carefully peeled back the curtains as he saw three Death Eaters sending recycling bins flying through the air, causing newspapers to swirl around them before floating to the ground. Car alarms were sounding and Snape and Lupin watched as the three continued to cause distruction as they walked slowly up the road towards the house. Lupin's elderly neighbor, Mr. Jones walked out his front door to shame them for their behavior, but the tallest Death Eater sent a curse straight towards him, sending the man flying backwards into his home. His front door closed with a loud bang and Snape could hear the taller of the three Death Eaters say to the other two, "Silence them all! Barricade all doors! Lock them all inside! We don't want any muggle casualties to have to deal with today." Doing as they were told, the two used their wands to secure the neighboring houses and one could be seen casting a silencing charm over the small neighborhood before they made their way to gather in the middle of the street.</p><p>When the three congregated together, Snape could hear one call out, "SNAPE! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT AND FACE US, COWARD!" Knowing that they were unable to penetrate Lupin's wards, he closed the curtains and leaned against the wall, rubbing his face with his hands. He realized in that moment that he felt more trapped than he ever had before and for the first time in a long time, Severus Snape had no idea what he was going to do. As soon as he was about to speak, a spell was cast at the wards surrounding Lupin's home and the two men ducked down. With a sizzle, the spell rebounded and hit the ground, leaving a black patch in the once fluffy green grass. Lupin and Snape slowly rose and glanced out the window before another spell was sent their way. This time, the sizzle was louder and the patch of grass that the spell rebounded onto was now on fire. Snape finally said, "At this rate, the house will burn down before they get in. I think there are only these three here. We should just barge out there and face them." Lupin scoffed, "We? Who is this 'we' that you speak of? They are calling for you, my good man, not me. They want you. Why endanger my life as well? If they see me, I will be come a target as will my family. Handle this yourself, Snape!" Snape turned to him and said, "I never thought I would see the day that a werewolf would act so cowardly. I can't say that I am shocked, though. Fine, Lupin. Go be with your woman. Just do me a favor... If I don't make it out of this, tell Anya that I'm sorry for failing her and that I will always love her. Go. I'll handle this myself." Lupin stood and backed away slowly, watching Snape peer out the window, sizing up the Death Eaters now circling the house. With a pop, he was gone and Snape was left alone. He leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. He was alone. Big surprise. With a deep breath, he clenched his wand tightly before kicking open the door and charging out onto the charred front lawn.</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Support Systems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape finds himself alone until back-up arrives.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lupin arrived at the Burrow to find Anya sitting on the couch drinking tea with Ginny and her baby resting beside her. Tonks and Molly were puttering around in the kitchen as Arthur and the Weasley sons lifted more wards around the house. Tonks asked, "What's going on, Remus?" Lupin found himself faced with the difficult decision of either admitting his cowardice and desertion of Snape or he could play it safe and not say much of anything. He decided on the latter. "I'm not sure, love. When I left, he was debating on what to do next." Anya heard their conversation and stood to chime in, "So you just left him there? Is he alone?" Lupin never made eye contact. Anya stepped forward. "I'm speaking to you, Remus. Is he alone?" Lupin, now fully aware that he had been found out, turned to her and said, "What would you have me do, Anya? Stay and become a target? Risk my entire family becoming targets as well?" Anya, eyes wide, raised her voice and said, "Think of everything that he done for us all! You just left him there to handle a group of Death Eaters on his own!" Ginny, feeling her sister's frustration, asked, "What about Harry? Where is Harry?" Lupin shrugged. "I'm not sure. Snape told him to go find spare aurors but he never returned." Anya threw her hands up before saying, "This is brilliant! He's there and we are all here hiding out. I'm going back. Who is going with me?" Lupin stepped in her way and replied, "You're not going anywhere. He told Tonks to get you out of there. Obviously you aren't strong enough to keep them out of your head so just sit down and stay put. This isn't your fight, it's his. We all told you when you got involved with him that trouble follows him everywhere he goes. Now you see it firsthand and have the nerve to endanger yourself for him?" Anya scoffed, "This is everyone's fight, Remus! The last time I checked, we are all members of the magical world and Death Eaters and You-Know-Who are our biggest threat. He is the only one that has had the nerve to spy to give us a leg up in the fight that we all know is coming. I love him and I'm not leaving him there to die." Molly stepped in between them and wagged her finger at Lupin saying, "She's right, Remus. He needs someone there with him. Like him or not, he has put his life in danger for us all and he loves Anya. You leaving him there on his own is cowardly and wrong." Looking down at his worn brown loafers, Lupin rocked back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair in frustration before saying, "Fine, but we're going to need back-up."</p><p>As Snape burst through the front door and walked onto the smoking lawn, he did not see the Death Eaters. Rotating slowly, he studied every detail outside the house before stopping to stare at the shrubbery to the right of the small front porch. A flash of yellow light came flying at him and with a flick of his wrist, he deflected it. "Surely you have more of a message to send than that, Dolohov." The bushes rustled and a cloaked figure stepped out from behind them. Slowly, the mask was whisked away, revelaing the scruffy man that Snape had grown to know over the past decade. "How did you know it was me?" Snape turned his head and used his wand to point at the crushed mailboxes lining the street. "I believe that is your calling card whenever you terrorize muggles, is it not?" Dolohov snickered. "Good eye, Snape." The man slowly made his way closer to him, never breaking eye contact. "Where are your friends, Dolohov?" Chuckling again, the man said, "What friends? We both know there are no friendships made within our ranks." Snape exhaled sharply. "You know what I mean." Dolohov smiled as he turned his head. Snape looked to his right and saw two more masked figures standing in the back garden of a neighboring house. With their arms behind their backs, they stood eerily still as the two men spoke. "They are keeping their distance...won't come until they are called. I thought we could get this over with quickly, Snape. Just stay still and let me handle this, otherwise, I'm going to have to get them involved and believe me when I say that they do not wish to be bothered with a blood traitor spy. However... We are all rather interested in this female that you are supposedly 'not involved' with... The Dark Lord has become impatient in all of the failed attempts to find her and has a sneaking suspiscion that you know exactly where she is. So, let's make this easy for both of us, shall we? You tell me where the girl is and I let you go. Simple." Snape laughed under his breath. "And if I don't?" Dolohov moved closer to him, leaning in and saying in a low tone, "Then I have to do what the Dark Lord has asked of me, Severus. I must bring your head back to him for all of your treachery and lies. The choice is yours..." Snape stood motionless, detecting the slow movements of the two Death Eaters across the way. He stared at Dolohov and with a small smile, he replied, "My choice is, Anya. Tell the Dark Lord that for me..." Dolohov shook his head and began taking a few steps backwards, tisking. "I suppose this is goodbye, then Snape." With a quick movement, a green stream of light shot out of Dolohov's wand, aiming straight for Snape who quickly blocked it before sending it shooting back towards the cloaked man. A sudden onslaught of green and red curses and spells came barreling towards Snape and with relative ease, he was able to block them, sending them ricocheting back in the direction of the Death Eaters. Before long, Snape could feel his wand arm tiring but could also see the fatigue forming in the three men in front of him as well. All he could do was continue to hold them off until someone slipped up and made a mistake. He never thought that he would be the first one to drop his guard at the wrong time, but at the moment he began blocking spells from the two in front of him, the third made his way to the other side where Snape was able to use wandless magic to hold him off as well. Snape could quickly feel the effects of his loneliness at the wrong time set in. He was beyond exhausted and before he knew it, he felt a sting in his side and watched as his once white shirt turned crimson. He hissed in pain but continued to redirect spell after spell from all directions until he heard a familiar pop behind him. The three Death Eaters stopped their attack momentarily to stare at the source of the noise and they couldn't believe their eyes. </p><p>Just behind Snape was a very tall, very large man in blue robes with a blue and purple hat. He stood with his arms crossed and said, "I was told there was a fight here. Where is it?" He walked forward and placed his hand on Snape's shoulder before pulling him backwards and touching his side. Dolohov stepped forward and shouted breathlessly, "This is not your fight, Kingsley! Begone or you will face the same end as him." Kingsley belted out a loud laugh before replying, "I don't think so..." With a quick swish of his broad arm, Kingsley removed his wand from his side and sent out what only could be described as a 360 degree assault. With one spell, all three Death Eaters flew backwards and landed several feet away. Scrambling to their feet, they each launched their attack on the duo without hesitation. With a quick swipe of his wand, Kingsley boomed, "Away with you or you will face the same punishment as your dear friend Malfoy! Bumbling around like an idiot and babbling like a baby in Azkaban!" Dolohov froze when he heard the wizard mention Azkaban. He was all too familiar with the prison and did not wish to return. The other two, however, were unafraid of this threat. Dolohov slowly backed away to allow the other two to handle the duo and before long, a puff of black smoke could be seen behind them. He bolted but in his departure, three more arrived. Kingsley looked to Snape who was blocking spells for them both and holding his side as Kingsley continued to launch more spells and curses. Tired of the nonsense, he yelled, "Cover me!" With one hand using his wand and the other using wandless magic, Snape closed his eyes and created an invisible forcefield around the two men. Kingsley walked forward with Snape beside him, preventing any spells from making contact with them. Getting uncomfortably close to the enemy, Kingsley aimed his wand directly at the forehead of one of the Death Eaters and then yelled, "When I say drop, drop the forcefield and I will handle this!" Snape nodded and waited for his signal. Before Kingsley could say anything, another pop could be heard and Harry Potter appeared, wand drawn, ready to fight. One of the Death Eaters sent a ball of flames directly at him and he deflected it into the grass. By the time Lupin and Ron showed up, Snape couldn't stand upright any longer. Exhaustion had set in and his wand arm gave out, causing his forcefield to fail and he fell to his knees in the grass. Kingsley saw this and sent a curse flying towards the robed figure he was battling and ran to him. Calling out to Harry, he grabbed Snape's shoulder and with a loud pop, he was gone.</p>
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<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Double Trouble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kingsley gets Snape to safety.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sitting at the table biting her nails, Anya waited impatiently for someone to return. Tonks, frustrated with her husband's behavior earlier in the day, scrubbed dishes by hand, her hair changing color every few seconds. The scraping sounds began to agitate Ginny, who could not take it any longer and blurted out, "For Merlin's sake Tonks, stop! We are all worried here! Can't you just meltdown internally like Anya is doing?" Anya turned quickly to give her an angry look, only to soften it as she looked at the small bundle in her arms. "How is he doing, Gin?" Gently rocking him back and forth, Ginny pulled back the corner of the blanket that the baby was wrapped in. Sleeping peacefully, his eyelids fluttered softly before going still once more. Anya smiled momentarily before reality set in and she went back to biting the skin around her nails. </p><p>With a loud pop and a thud, Snape landed on a cold stone floor. Coughing and rather delusional from the loss of blood, Snape rolled onto his stomach and lifted his head to get a good look at his surroundings. Kingsley, tired but still able to stand, reached down to help him up. Scanning the room, the potions master knew exactly where he was. In that moment, both men heard someone clear their throat. "Severus... Are you alright, my boy?" Snape grabbed his side and when he began to lose consciousness, Kingsley leaned in to grab him before he could fall to the floor. "Dumbledore... Where have-" Before he could finish his thought, he went unconscious. </p><p>A few hours later, Snape awoke in the infirmary at Hogwarts. He slowly lifted himself up and looked around the room. It was dark except for the soft glow of an oil lamp that could be seen across the room. Hearing a noise coming from the hallway, Snape slowly stood, pulling on the robe that was laying on a nearby chair. A small, feminine voice said, "Severus, please lay back down." It was Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse, peering through the curtain surrounding the bed. He shook his head and replied, "Poppy... Thank you for your care, but I must be going." Madame Pomfrey shook her head as well and placed her hands on one of Snape's arms. "You need your rest. You lost a lot of blood. It takes time to heal, you know. Where did you get all of these injuries, anyway? Dumbledore refused to tell me anything." Snape scoffed under his breath and said, "Probably for good reason..." Looking at him with confusion written all over her face, Madame Pomfrey replied, "At least take a few potions before you leave." Snape agreed and drank three before making his way down to the dungeons. He had to get back to Anya and figure out what came of the attack at Lupin's home. </p><p>Upon reaching the dungeons, Snape lowered his wards and walked inside only to be met with a familiar gust of cold air. He shut the heavy wooden door and leaned his back against it, breathing in deeply the scent of past potions and the smell of burning wood from the fireplace. He made his way to the small bar and fixed a stiff drink. Tossing it back, he heard a rustle across the room and turned quickly with his wand drawn. There sitting in the armchair in front of the fireplace was Anya, staring at him with ger legs crossed. "When did you get here, Anya?" He rushed over to her and she stood to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Just a few moments ago. I thought you would be coming here when Poppy said that you left the infirmary. How are you feeling? What happened?" Snape turned to pour himself another drink and grabbed a second glass for her. After taking a long sip of firewhiskey, he said, "I'm fine. All I know is that Dolohov and several others have been sent out to find me. The Dark Lord knows... He knows everything..." Anya downed her whiskey and stared into her empty glass and said, "What can I do? How can I help?" Snape shook his head and walked towards her slowly. Stopping just in front of her, he took her glass and sat it on the table. He tucked a few curls behind her ear and caressed her face. "I need you to stay safe. Please just be careful and stay under the radar." Anya nodded and placed her hand on top of his. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Snape pulled her closer to him and leaned down to kiss her gently. Gentle kisses lead to passionate ones and before the pair knew it, their bodies were naked and intertwined in Snape's black satin sheets. Exhaustion set in and the pair fell asleep contently.</p><p>Waking early the next morning, the pair dressed and Snape decided that the safest way to get back to the others was to use the floo network. They stepped inside the fireplace and Anya grabbed a handfull of powder. Snape waited for her to throw it and say their destination, but she never did. She stood there quietly and Snape cocked his eyebrow, reaching for her wrist. He shook it, releasing the powder and calling out for the Burrow. They stumbled into the sitting room where everyone was congregated together, discussing what happened the day before. The room went quiet as everyone looked towards the fireplace. Confused by their silence, Snape asked, "What's wrong? What happened?" George, sitting on the arm of the chair that Ginny was reclining in, pointed at Anya. Snape glanced at her and then back at George in confusion. George, along with the others in the room, stood up and pointed their wands at her. Snape immediately stepped in front of her and said, "What in Merlin's name are you all doing?! Lower your wands!" Molly, hearing the commotion, stepped out of the kitchen, dusting herself off. Looking up from her apron, she saw the room full of people aiming their wands at Snape and immediately jumped to his aid. "What are you lot doing?! Lower your wands! It's just Severus, after all!" Fred piped up, "No mum. Look!" He pointed at Snape once more and Molly noticed someone moving behind him. Asking him to move aside, he obliged, stepping to the side to reveal Anya. He jumped back in front of her as soon as Molly drew her wand quickly and aimed it at the pair. Snape, angry and unable to understand the situation at hand asked, "What is going on here? Molly?! Potter?!" Just as he finished his question, a small shuffle could be heard from the kitchen. Snape glanced in the direction of the kitchen when he saw Tonks point at the kitchen door. Anya walked through the door, wiping her hands on a towel. Unaware of what was going on but noticing all of the drawn wands, she asked, "What did I miss?"</p>
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<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Who's who?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape has a difficult decision to make.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snape, eyes wide in confusion, watched as Anya scanned the room. He quickly pointed his wand at her and she immediately dropped the tea towel that she was holding, raising her hands in alarm. Harry and Arthur immediately stepped forward, wands drawn, daring Snape to make the next move. Anya stared in horror at Snape before managing to ask, "Severus? What is going on?" Snape's head was swimming as he turned his body, to allow her to see the person he knew as Anya hiding behind him. Anya gasped as she saw the woman with her face come to stand beside her fiance and she said, "Severus... Who is that?" The woman beside him grabbed his arm and cooly said in his ear, "Severus, sweetheart, she has to be an imposter... Get rid of her, please. I'm frightened..." Snape, wand still drawn in Anya's direction shook his head. Every person in the room had their wands aimed in his direction and he couldn't help but feel like he was in a horrific dream. He cleared his throat and managed to say, "I don't understand..." George, being ever so gentle in serious matters belted out, "She is an imposter, Snape! Think about this logically, man! Anya has been here with us the entire time! If that's the case, then who is that?" Snape turned his head and began analyzing the woman hanging on to him. He pulled his arm away and stepped aside with his wand still drawn, aiming it towards the woman beside him. "If you are who you say you are, then you should have no problem answering a few questions." The woman nodded and replied, "Of course not, sweetheart. Ask me anything." Snape thought for a moment and asked, "What did I hand you when we were outside the first time we spoke?" She acted as though she was thinking and replied, "This is silly... It has been so long since we met. So much has happened and we have been through so much. Does it really matter?" Snape cocked his head in anger when he realized what was happening and spat, "Answer the question, witch!" The woman began to cry and through a lip quiver was able to say, "Why are you so angry with me? I am who I claim to be!" With his wand still aimed at her, he turned his head towards Anya, pointed at her and said, "You! Answer the question!" Anya quickly replied, "My jacket. I went outside without it." Snape exhaled quickly and realized every mistake the imposter had made the evening before that he didn't notice in the moment. Anya doesn't drink whiskey. How would she know where he was? She didn't know where to go in the floo... It was all dawning on him and he quickly pointed his wand at the doppelganger's neck. Her sobs became louder until her crying eventually transformed into a wicked cackle. She lowered her hands from her face and slowly she morphed into someone Snape had not seen in quite some time. </p><p>Her hair lengthened slightly, frizzed outward and grey streaks began to form in it. Her gaunt face and rotting teeth were one of the first things that could be seen and in unison, everyone in the room gasped. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. Snape grabbed her by the arm and jammed his wand into her neck once more as she cackled menacingly. "You're going to off me, are you, lover?" Anya, confused at her words, started at the interaction happening between the two with her wand drawn towards the woman. Bellatrix shot Anya a glance and said, "Why don't you ask your fiance here what we did last night? Go on Snape! Tell her! Be honest with the girl before the Dark Lord gets a hold of her!" Snape tightened his grip as Lupin shouted out, "It will be a cold day in Hell before he lays a finger on her, harlot!" She cackled once more and said, "You are mistaken, wolf! I came here to deliver her to him and I will not leave empty handed, I guarantee that!" Snape prodded her in the temple with his wand before asking, "How did you manage this, Bella? Answer me!" She laughed and let out a loud sigh before replying, "My sister's poor husband was wrongly imprisoned as you all must know by now... When we paid him a little visit a while back, we were able to obtain his personal belongings. Apparently he had a hair brush that very obviously was not his own in his possession when he was taken to Azkaban. We had no idea who it belonged to but The Dark Lord had a spare batch of Polyjuice laying around and we performed a little experiement. Needless to say, a few days and numerous screwings later, he was hooked and knew he wanted her...but he wanted me in the moment. What is so good about her anyway, Severus? How does she compare to me? You would know!" Anya shook her head, eyes filling with tears and she shifted over to her mother who had her hand outstretched for her. Molly enveloped her in a hug and Snape could see her bury her head in Molly's chest. He immediately felt the stinging sensation of guilt and panic set in, causing him to quickly cast a silencing spell on her, rendering her unable to speak any longer. Tonks stepped forward as she watched him cast a binding spell on her, knocking her to the floor. She asked, "What was she talking about, Severus? Is any of that true?" Snape ran a hand through his hair and breathed deeply, feeling as though he was about to start hyperventilating. He looked over at Anya who had gathered what had happened the night before and was now sobbing. Everyone walked past him, staring him down and sizing him up as they all dispersed. Snape walked forward to speak to Anya and before he could get a few feet away from her, Ginny said, "I wouldn't do that, Snape. You have obviously done enough. Leave her be." He stared at his fiancee and watched as she refused to look in his direction. Petting her and tucking her hair behind her ear, Molly sat on the couch holding her as she cried. Snape couldn't take it anymore and yelled, "Anya, I swear I didn't know that she was not you! Maybe I should have noticed that something was different but I just wanted to see you and there you were...But it wasn't you and I cannot begin to apologize enough to you. I swear I didn't know!" Arthur stepped in front of him with his hands raised. "Perhaps we should handle the imposter, Severus... Let's give her space." When Snape and Arthur turned around, Bellatrix dissapeared with a loud pop and quickly appeared beside the couch where Anya sat. She grabbed her by the arm and spun her around with her wand aimed at her neck. Anya, was now begging to be released. Bellatrix tightened her grip on her when all of the wands in the room were drawn and aimed at her. She said with a small laugh, "Cast one spell and the girl dies. Lower your wands. LOWER THEM!" When all wands were lowered, she spoke once more, glaring straight ahead at Snape, "Your little lovely and I are going on a little trip. You all are going to stand perfectly still or I will be forced to bloody her pretty face. Severus, love... You know where I'll be when you want to talk reasonably or you know, have another roll in the hay, whichever comes first... So long all!" With a pop, she was gone. </p><p>Snape growled out in anger as she dissapeared and Arthur grabbed his forearm. He stepped in front of Snape once more and put his hands on his shoulders before asking, "Where is she taking her, Severus?" Fuming and struggling to breathe evenly, he managed to reply, "Malfoy Mannor." He paced the room back and forth, running his hands through his hair in anger. He stopped suddenly and called out, "Every male in this room needs to grab their wand. We are bringing the war to Malfoy Mannor. We have to leave now! Potter! It's time! Someone alert Dumbledore." With a nod, Harry kissed Ginny on the cheek and with a pop, he was gone. Lupin stepped forward and with his hands raised managed to say, "I know that I am not your favorite person at the moment, but you must see reason, Snape. If we go barging in there, we will all die. We are risking everything if we leave now." Snape paused and with squinted eyes, he said, "She is your neice, Lupin. She has been abducted and you are once again being a coward! What do you expect me to do? Sit here and wait for a fucking owl with an invitation? Get your shit together, man! This is everyone's fight! Let's end this once and for all!" Lupin rubbed his eyes and replied, "You're right, but see reason, Severus... If we go swooping in there right now, they will be expecting it. Wait it out a few hours and let's hit them when they think no one is coming. He won't harm her. He's using her as bait." Snape scoffed and screamed, "He wants to mate with her, Lupin! That is what Bellatrix was saying! He wants her and has for a long time! I have kept her safe and under the radar but this unidentified rat amongst us has told him everything apparently. Let's go, Lupin before he kills her!" Lupin nodded and looked around the room. "Who else is coming with us?" All of the Weasley men stepped forward and with a series of pops, they all disapparated one by one.</p>
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<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Abducted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Anya is taken by Bellatrix.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you all are enjoying these shorter chapters. I figured out that if I can write just a little bit less in each chapter, then I am able to crank out more chapters more often. </p><p>What do you guys think? Do you like the shorter chapters or would you rather I go back to longer ones? Let me know! </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bellatrix arrived at the mannor gate, giggling wickedly to herself, dragging Anya behind her kicking and screaming. Pulling her wand from her belt, the frizzy haired witch jammed it in the woman's neck, tightening her grip on her with the other hand before growling, "Quiet, you!" Anya, unable to break free, kicked as she was dragged across the pavement, crying out for someone to help her. They arrived at the large front door where Bellatrix showed her wand to the large body guard, proving her identity and gaining access inside the overly decorated foyer. She called out to the guard, "Where is everyone? I have a surprise for the Dark Lord." He pointed towards the conference room and said, "In there. Do you need me to hold that for you?" He motioned towards Anya who was still trying to break free. Bellatrix looked down at her and laughed before saying, "No. I think I can handle her." She began walking towards the conference room, pulling her gift behind her. Anya knew that nothing good could come from going in that room, but in the moment, she had no choice. The grip on her neck was too tight and she had fought so hard that she was becoming weak and her voice was going hoarse. Entering the conference room, all eyes turned to focus on the cackling witch and the young woman that she was holding captive. Anya kicked and pleaded to be released once more, only to have Bellatrix jam her wand harder into the side of her neck. "I SAID QUIET, YOU!" Anya went silent but continued to sob, looking around the room at the people who were scurrying over to ooh and ahh over Bellatrix's new toy. Pushing through the sea of people, she said, "I have a gift for the Dark Lord!" Suddenly the sound of a chair scratching across the floor could be heard and a soft but eerie voice asked, "What do you have for me, Bella?" Bowing lowly, Bellatrix relaxed her wand and aimed it at Anya. With a gasp, Voldemort said, "Can it be? Is this who I think it is? But how did you find her, Bella?" Excitedly, Bellatrix lifted her head and replied, "I used the Polyjuice, my lord. I infiltrated their safe house by tricking that treacherous blood traitor, Snape into taking me there. He fell for the rouse easily, my lord." Voldemort smiled and with a flick of his wrist, motioned for everyone to leave. Everyone filed out quickly, causing Anya to cry out, "Please! Please don't leave me here!" When no one turned around or came back, she began kicking again. Bellatrix tightened her grip on her and kicked her in the side before yelling, "You will remain silent in the presence of the Dark Lord!" Anya cried out in pain as she felt the blow and Voldemort's smile faded quickly. "Release her at once!" Bellatrix, unsure of what to do replied, "Of course, my lord, but she will run. She hasn't stopped moving since I stole her away..." With the wave of his hand, he sent Bellatrix flying backwards towards the door and Anya was tossed forward. Dazed and slightly heartbroken, Bellatrix crawled backwards, sniffling. The Dark Lord's voice belted loudly,"Leave us, Bella!" She scurried out the door and back into the foyer as Anya tried to pick herself up off the ground. Unable to lift her own body weight, she fell backwards on the cold, hard ground and winced in pain. Voldemort slowly reached down and offered her his hand. Anya sat still and began slowly shifting backwards. He leaned down and said cooly, "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you." Grabbing her arm gently, he lifted her from the floor. Unsure of what to do, Anya wanted to flea but she knew there was no point. She would be returned quickly and her punishment would be worse. Slowly, Voldemort backed away from her, giving her space to breathe. Confused and afraid, she wrapped her arms around herself and said, "What do you want from me?" He gave a small smile and replied quietly, "Nothing that you aren't willing to give, my dear." Anya backed towards the door and said, "So I can leave, then?" Shaking his head, he said, "I'm afraid not... I have been looking for you and here you are. Lucius told me about how beautiful you are... He said that you were utterly breathtaking and a rather gifted witch, might I add. Seeing you here now... I do not doubt him." Anya continued to hug herself and looked down. "Why me? Please let me go home. Please..." Glancing up at him with tears streaming down her face, Anya noticed that Voldemort was staring at her with a look that she did not expect. Was that pity? Compassion? She knew that couldn't be right because he was not known for showing any of those emotions. Turning to sit in his seat at the head of the table, Voldemort said, "Please have a seat. We have much to discuss." Anya hesitated momentarily before making her way to an empty seat. She sat down and stared at the fireplace blankly, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks. Clearing his throat, Voldemort began, "I have a proposition for you, Anya. I know about your relationship with Snape. I know that he was been spying for Dumbledore for quite some time and I know about your association with the Order of the Phoenix. I'm afraid that I cannot allow Snape to continue serving in my ranks and I cannot allow him to serve Dumbledore either..." Anya turned to face him quickly before asking, "What are you saying?" Making eye contact with her, Voldemort replied, "I'm saying that he must die. Once he is out of my way, you and I will conceive an heir and in return for the heir, I will allow your family to live. Do we have an agreement?" Anya blinked through tear filled eyes. "I do not have a choice, do I?" Voldemort shook his head gently. "I'm afraid not. It must happen." Anya shook her head and replied, "No deal. If you leave Severus and my family alone, then I will do whatever you ask. Please..." Voldemort looked down and let out a sigh. "You would sacrifice your freedom and happiness for his life?" Anya, without missing a beat, replied, "Without hesitation. Over and over again." He sighed once more, rising from his seat. "Alright. You have a deal, but there is something that you must know..." Turning to her, he raised his wand and tapped the top of his head, slowly morphing into someone that she had not seen since the aurors had been held captive. "Olliver?!? Olliver Wood?!?" Giving her a small smile, he nodded. She stood quickly and with eyes wide, she said, "I don't understand. You are Voldemort?!" Nodding, he quietly said, "Yes and no... To them, yes. To you and the Order, no. I have been able to use Polyjuice potion to keep up appearances to aid the Order in dissolving the population of Death Eaters." Anya, mouth ajar, asked, "So does anyone within the Order know about this?" Shaking his head, he made eye contact with her once more, "No. Some have suspicions that I am the mole, which they would be correct, obviously. I have been feeding the Death Eaters minor information for a while now, only giving them enough to keep them satisfied. Even Snape was unaware, probably because no one saw me often as I have very obviously been busy..." Anya stepped forward and hugged him. Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned back and placed his hands on her shoulders. "So you really love him, huh?" She nodded. He let out a sigh and asked, "So you and I... We would never happen, right?" Anya smiled weakly and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Olliver. It happened and I am happy." He nodded slowly and responded, "Good. I'm happy for you." They both stood in awkward silence for a moment before he continued, "Needless to say, no one can know that I am Voldemort, okay?" She nodded and said, "Are you seriously not going to let me go home?" Oliver laughed lightly and replied, "I sort of can't right now... I can guarantee your safety though, so you will not be bothered, but they all know that I have been after you for quite a while. Now that you are here, it would look suspicious to just let you go free." Nodding in agreement, she turned to look out the window across the room. "So what happens when Severus and the Order comes for me? You know they will..." Sitting down once more, he rubbed his face with his hands and said, "Then the battle begins." </p><p>Malfoy Mannor was guarded by Death Eaters that surrounded its perimeters. One by one, Order members arrived, forming a small group behind the hill located just on the outskirts of the property, out of eyesight of any of Voldemort's goons. Before long, fifteen members had shown up and Snape had become restless. Still feeling guilty from what had just happened at the Burrow and what transpired the evening before, he volunteered to go in alone. Lupin, peering over the hill quickly, said in a hushed tone, "Are you crazy, Snape? They are looking for you! As soon as you step foot in there you will be taken down. We need a diversion. Anyone have any ideas?" Just then, a small pop could be heard behind them and as they all turned, Sirius could be seen clutching on to the man that Severus had known as Nathan. He released the young man and patted him on the back before saying, "I thought we could use the support..." Arthur shook Nathan's hand and brought him in for a tight hug before asking, "It's really you this time, right boy?" Nathan nodded with a small smile and replied, "I heard you lot have been having a hard time with dopplegangers here. I thought I could be of some assistance." Snape outstretched his hand and Nathan shook it before asking, "What's your name, friend?" Snape told him and quickly asked, "Where have you been? Anya has been worried sick about you." Rubbing the back of his head, he explained how he was walking down the street in a country rather far away while on a mission when all of a sudden, someone bludgeoned him from behind and left him for dead in a car park. When he awoke, he had no recollection of who he was or what had happened. Arthur had sent Sirius to find him and bring him back home. Sirius was able to heal him and catch him up on everything that he had missed in the time that he was away. Realizing who he was speaking to, Nathan cocked an eyebrow and said, "Wait a second... You are THE Severus Snape? The dark asshole that I have heard so much about? Sirius, he doesn't look decrepit... Are you sure this is the right man?" Sirius nodded and said, "Oh yeah... This is him." Snape, aggrivated that they were wasting time, said, "If you two don't mind, my fiancee, your niece and your best friend is in there alone. This is hardly the time for boyhood bickering, Black." Sirius turned his head and replied, "You're right. Forgive me..." Snape nodded slowly and said, "Well she will be overjoyed to see you, Nathan, but we need to get in there quickly. I'm unsure as to what all of you have been told but we are here to rescue Anya and end this decade long battle. If any of you are not up for the challenge, then leave now." Everyone stayed put and he continued, "Good... Now I know this house like the back of my hand. We need to separate into smaller groups and go in through several different entrances. Right now, everyone will be congregating in the conference room, leaving most entrances covered, but not swarming with Death Eaters. It should not be that difficult to handle a few at a time. However, should you find yourselves in need of assistance, we need to have multiple people in each group. Find your teammates and let's get going." Arthur grabbed Snape's forearm and said, "Slow down, Severus. We all want her back unharmed, but we have to do things the right way or we are setting ourselves up for failure." Snape nodded and said, "With all due respect, Arthur, I understand what you are saying, but I cannot sit here while she is in there unprotected. I need you all to work quickly so I can get her out." Arthur, understanding of the way he felt, patted Snape on the arm and said, "We will get her out of there, Severus. I promise." With a few moments to run through their newly devised plan, each member departed and slowly made their way to the mannor.</p>
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<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Infiltration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape tries to rescue Anya.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you guys are enjoying these new chapters! </p><p>As previously stated and as you all already know, I only own the original characters in this story. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. I am but a lowly fan girl...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Under the invisibility cloak, Harry and Ron made their way up the driveway towards the mannor. Undetected by the guards, the duo tiptoed towards the side of the house, glancing in and out of windows as they passed them. When they reached one particularly large window, Ron gave Harry a boost and he peered through it, noticing that Anya was sitting at a table alone with Voldemort. Ron called out as quietly as he could, "Can you see anything?" Harry adjusted and said, "She is in there! They are sitting at a table. Just sitting there... I can't read their lips but they are talking." Ron groaned under Harry's weight and asked, "Just sitting there? That doesn't make any sense." Harry looked back in the window and added, "She's crying..." Ron shifted once more and responded, "Of course she is crying. She's all alone in there with that monster. We have to get her out of there!" Ron shifted once more and lost his footing as Harry tried to get a better look inside. The pair tumbled onto the ground and within a few moments, they collected themselves and Harry was able to get another look inside. "Ron... You're not going to believe this... She's hugging him." </p><p>Forgetting what he was doing, Ron let go of Harry's legs, causing him to jump down with a tumble. "What do you mean she was hugging him?!" Harry shrugged and shook his head. "Exactly what I said! I got back up and there they were, hugging!" Blinking confusedly, Ron looked around and said, "He has to have put a spell on her. Maybe he slipped her a love potion or something, you think?" Harry shrugged again and said, "I don't know, but Snape needs to know about this. Where is he?" Pointing off in the distance, the pair witnessed Snape quickly flourish his wand, sending Death Eater guards flying backwards as he marched without hesitation towards the large front door. As the door flew open, Snape walked into foyer with Arthur, Nathan, Kingsley and Sirius standing behind him. Scanning the room closely, Snape nodded towards the conference room and each man slowly and quietly made their way towards the room. Suddenly, footsteps could be heard in the hallway on the opposite side of the room and each man rushed to hide against the wall, preparing to defend themselves. Snape peered around the corner and saw three Death Eaters guarding a rather large wooden door. He immediately recognized the men as Yaxley, Dolohov and Lestrange. Standing around, the three men gossiped while the hidden Order members overheard their conversation. Lestrange asked his fellow Death Eaters, "Have you seen the new witch Bella brought the Dark Lord?" Dolohov chuckled and nodded, "That's the one Snape was sleeping with. I hear the Dark Lord isn't very happy with him..." Yaxley scoffed loudly, "Would you be?! Snape is a traitor! He deceived the Dark Lord for a decade, lying about his allegiance and then he had the balls to sleep with his woman! Did you learn anything interesting when you found Snape at the werewolf's home?" Dolohov shook his head, "Nothing that you haven't already heard." Lestrange doubted him but turned to Yaxley and said, "The Dark Lord has asked for privacy with the girl. I have heard rumors of him wanting to create an heir with her. Do you think that it will happen soon? Bella will be jealous, of course." Dolohov chimed in, "Of course it will happen soon! I do not think that the Dark Lord will want to take his time with her..." Laughing, the three began nudging one another as Snape's blood boiled. He lunged forward with Sirius reaching for his arm, missing him by a mere fingertips length. He rounded the corner, wand drawn and a ball of light emerged from its tip, hitting the small group of men and exploding upon impact. The remaining Order members flooded behind him as they saw all three men land in different locations within the hallway. Arthur grabbed Snape's arm and said, "Go find Anya, we will hold them off." Nodding, he turned to head back towards the foyer. Once reaching the conference room, he leaned against the door, trying desperately to hear what was being said on the other side of the door. Only hearing muffled voices, Snape tightened his grip on his wand and barged into the room. </p><p>Bursting through the door, Snape expected to see Voldemort, but was both relieved and frustrated when he saw the Malfoy's house elf kneeling at the fireplace. Turning quickly, the creature fell backwards onto the hearth and said, "Mister Snape!" Annoyed, Snape, rushing towards him, asked, "Dobby, where is the Dark Lord? Tell me now!" Dobby's voice quivered as he said, "Dobby cannot say. Master has forbidden Dobby from speaking to anyone about his location." Snape grabbed him by the pillowcase that he was wearing and asked, "The girl! Where is the girl, then?? Give me information Dobby or I will make sure that you never speak again!" Dobby bit his bottom lip tightly before he cried, "Please! Do not ask Dobby to say! He is an evil man, Mister Snape! Please!" Snape tightened his grasp on the house elf and said, "She is important to me, Dobby! Please! Just tell me where she is! You know that she is in grave danger! Please..." He released the elf, kneeling in front of him. "Please, Dobby. Help me." Clutching his pillowcase, Dobby nodded and said, "The room at the end of the east wing hallway. She is there. Master gave her a room to herself away from others. Dobby was told to tend to her fire a few times per day." Snape shook Dobby's hand and ran out the door, heading towards the east wing. Running past the group of men he entered the mansion with who were currently sending spells in the direction of a small group of Death Eaters, Snape made his way to the very last door. Leaning against it, he was unable to hear anyone inside. Grabbing the doorknob, he turned it carefully, slowly slipping inside the dimly lit room. </p><p>Scanning the room, Snape saw Anya sitting on the window seat across from him, hugging her knees. Watching her momentarily, he slipped behind the posts of the large bed in the room, causing a small rustle in the draperies handing from it. Anya turned her head quickly and called out, "Who's there?" Snape, not wanting to scare her, slowly emerged from behind the post. She stared at him before saying, "It's you..." Nodding, Snape moved closer to her. Raising a hand, she said once more, "That's close enough." Pausing mid step, he watched as she turned to look back out the window. "I'm here to rescue you, to take you home." Without turning her head, she said, "I cannot leave. You are wasting your time. Why don't you go find Bellatrix? I'm sure she will be pleased to see you..." Snape lowered his gaze to the floor and said, "You know that what happened was a mistake. You know that I would never do anything to hurt you." She turned her head and replied, "Do I? Forgive me Severus, but I have spent well over a year trying to figure you out and I have yet to fully understand you. We get involved, get engaged and during our time together, you have kept me at a distance, why? Because you are a Death Eater? Newsflash, that isn't news. Perhaps it's because you have something sick going on with the whores within the ranks..." Snape scoffed, "That is preposterous and you know it! If I was merely worried about finding a warm hole to dive into, do you honestly think that I would go through the trouble of courting you and investing in our future?" Anya laughed and said, "Maybe not, but in order to guarantee that you don't have to jump from warm body to warm body, it's a lot easier to pin one down, making sure it doesn't leave you. It's safer and easier for you that way." Snape, dumbfounded by what she was saying, pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "You are unbelievable! I risk my life to find you and return you to safety and you accuse me of using you for sex? That's low, Anya. Get up! Let's go." Anya breathed deeply before turning to look out the window once more. "I cannot leave. You are wasting your time. You and the Order members need to be prepared for the battle ahead. I will be fine." Stepping forward, Snape grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the window seat. "Come with me before Voldemort comes in. You do not want to be here when he does." Pulling her arm away from him, she said, "You mean Olliver..." Confused, he asked, "Who?" Letting out a loud huff, she turned to him and said, "Voldemort is Olliver. Olliver is Voldemort. They are the same person. He is the mole. He has used Polyjuice to take his form and trick the Death Eaters into believing he is who he says he is. It's genius, actually." Snape stepped backwards and replied, "You can't be serious!" Anya nodded. "I am to stay here and he said that when you and the others arrive, the battle will begin. Here we all are and it is coming. I suggest you warn the others."</p>
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<a name="section0035"><h2>35. The Ruse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape and the Order find Anya.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Anya, are you sure?" Nodding, she sat back in the window and turned to look outside once more. Rubbing his temples and pacing back and forth, Snape slowly went through the information that he had just received. It couldn't be... Things couldn't be that simple. He had been tortured by the Dark Lord on many occasions, returning to Hogwarts bloody and bruised, only to continue to spy for him and feed the Death Eaters more information week after week... No... It couldn't be that simple. Snape watched as Anya sat motionless and asked, "Are you feeling alright?" Unwilling to turn around, she replied, "I'm fine." Snape knew something was wrong. He quickly began rummaging through the room, looking for something to pin her odd behavior on. Finding nothing, he walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Shifting, she turned her face towards him and he placed a finger under her chin to tilt her gaze upward. With a blank stare, Anya glared at him. "What are you looking for here, Severus?" Stepping backwards, he shook his head in disbelief before responding, "I thought I knew..." He turned to walk towards the door and grabbed the doorknob, turning it slowly. "I love you, Anya. I hope you are right about all of this..." She remained silent and watched him quietly walk out the door.</p><p>Stepping into the hallway, Snape found Sirius waiting impatiently for him. "Where is Anya?" Snape shook his head. "I'm not sure, but the woman in there is not her. Gather the men, we need to talk." Taking off through the hallway, the Order members met in the center of the foyer, asking questions and making comments about the eerie feelings they were getting from the mannor. Snape quickly told them what he knew and each man stood with furrowed brows, trying to figure out what was happening. Nathan, walking around the foyer stopped when he saw a portrait of the Malfoy family hanging on the wall. "Guys?" Most men turned to look at him as he pointed to the painting. "This is the Malfoy Mannor, correct?" Nodding, Arthur stepped forward. "What's wrong, Nathan?" Shaking his head quickly and looking around he said, "If this is Malfoy Mannor, then why is it so empty? I mean we encountered maybe twelve Death Eaters... Isn't this their lair?" Arthur immediately stepped backwards and looked around the group. "Quickly! How many Death Eaters have you encountered since we arrived?" Each man voiced two or three here and there but the numbers did not add up. Kingsley asked, "If they are not here, then where are they?" Snape looked around and said, "Better yet, where is the Dark Lord? If he is who he told Anya he is, then why isn't he here? He knew we were coming. He told her that." Confused, Sirius walked towards a large window and drew back the curtains. Scanning the lawn, all he could see was the light drizzle of rain saturating the grass. Harry cleared his throat. "Severus, there is something you need to know..." Turning towards him, Snape witnessed Ron elbow Harry in the ribs and nudge him with his shoulder. "What, Potter?" Harry looked back at Ron and turned to say, "I... We... Me and Ron, saw Anya hugging you-know-who in the conference room. I'm not sure what that was about, but all I could see was the hug before I fell." Snape's eyes widened slowly as he looked straight ahead. It was all starting to come together...</p><p>Running towards the bedroom at the end of the hall, fourteen men followed behind Snape, questioning him every step of the way. He burst into the room, wand drawn, fully expecting to see Anya sitting at the window. Instead, he saw Oliver with a firm grip on her, his wand pointed at her throat and a hand over her mouth. Quietly sobbing, Anya's eyes were wide with fear as she watched Snape and the others aim their wands in her direction. Anya screamed into his hand and Oliver tightened his grasp on her as he said, "Shut up, witch!" Snape stepped forward, causing Oliver to drag her backwards. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Snape! One flick of my wand and she dies!" Holding his hands up slowly, Severus replied, "Release her, Oliver! She is innocent in all of this! This is between you and I. Please... Release her..." Oliver stepped backwards once more and said, "You don't get it, do you Snape? This has EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HER! Why else would I take the time to earn her trust?? This is not just between you and I, no sir... This is between us all! Good vs. Bad. Right vs. Wrong. Dark vs. Light! I knew you would come for her... I knew that the easiest way to get not only you, but your idiotic band of misfits out of my way was to have the girl in my possession and here we are, Snape! It worked! My plan worked! Tell your lot to lower their wands or Anya and I are going to take a little trip..." One by one, they lowered their wands, continuing to stand firm. Anya's face was slowly turning red as the pressure of his hand tightened on her mouth. Tears streaming down her face, she sobbed quietly, but tried to run forward, finding herself winded when his hand shifted from her mouth to hook around her waist and he violently tugged her towards the window. She called out for Snape and reached out to him, begging him to save her and the feeling of guilt and pain rose in his core once more. He bolted towards her but Oliver aimed his wand at him and then at her temple as he boomed, "BACK AWAY! NOW! COME ANY CLOSER AND SHE DIES!" Snape stopped quickly and held up his hands once more. "Oliver, please... See reason! Let her go! None of this makes sense! Aren't you an Order member? Have't you been deceiving the Death Eaters under the disguise of being the Dark Lord?" Laughing menacingly, Oliver squinted his eyes and replied, "I can't believe my ears... The great Severus Snape has been stumped! Don't you get it, asshole?! It was all a ruse! I have not been posing as the Dark Lord!! I have been assisting the Dark Lord and he will be ever so pleased with my luring you here... Just wait, Severus... He will be along momentarily, along with the others. Then you and your band of brothers here will be wiped out and the Dark Lord will take her as his bride and she will grant him an heir to carry on his life's work! Don't worry, Severus, she will be compensated. I'm sure he will keep her alive until he no longer has use for her." Leaning his face into her hair, he inhaled deeply, running his face along the back of her neck. Anya squirmed and tried to break free again, crying out for Snape. </p><p>As Oliver continued his speech, Nathan slowly inched his way around the room. Standing just behind him, Nathan nodded at Snape who held Oliver's attention long enough for Nathan to count down on his hand from three. When he landed on one, Nathan sent a curse at Oliver's back, causing him to release Anya as he screamed. Snape lunged forward, grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chest before pushing her towards Sirius. He spun quickly to block a curse screaming for the others to get her out of the house. With one final blow, Snape sent a curse straight for Oliver, hitting him directly in the chest. As he fell to his knees, a stream of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth and he whispered, "He is coming... Run..." Taking a step backwards, Snape shifted as Oliver slumped forward onto the floor. Nathan stared at his lifeless body and then cast his gaze towards Snape, eyes wide. The pair turned to run out the door as Nathan called out, "Sirius was right. You do love her, don't you?" Snape kept his focus straight ahead and immediately noticed that the pair was about to run straight into a foyer full of Death Eaters.</p>
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<a name="section0036"><h2>36. Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Snape gets Anya to safety.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry for the shorter chapter, but I am facing time restraints at the moment. I still want to be able to put a chapter out everyday though, so here we are.</p><p>Feel free to let me know what you all think about these shorter chapters. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wands drawn, the pair entered the front room where several Order members fought to stay alive as a large swarm of Death Eaters sent curse after curse their way. Snape immediately scanned the room for Anya who was currently being blocked by Sirius in the far corner of the room. Quickly, he darted towards her and with one swift movement, he grabbed her hand and they disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Landing in a heavily wooded area, Anya, crying and struggling to breathe evenly, began turning around in circles, overwhelmed by the experiences of the day and searching for Snape. Calling out for him with no response, she wandered through the trees, eventually stumbling upon a clearing. </p><p>Recognizing the area, Anya trekked up the steep grassy hill and watched as sheep grazed in the meadow to her right. When she reached the top of the hill, she saw in the distance the beautiful little white cottage. Tears still streaming down her face, she ran quickly towards the small house and entered the garden gate. As soon as she closed the small gate door, a loud noise could be heard and a silvery transparent wall formed on either side of the house. Anya stumbled backwards as she turned to watch the corners of the walls meet and she thought to herself, those were Snape's wards. Breathing deeply, she turned to enter the back door and was met with the stale smell of vintage furniture and books. Home, she thought... This place smelled like home. She walked through the house calling for Winnie who was busy dusting a portrait in the small bedroom on the other side of the house. Popping her head out of the door frame, Winnie exclaimed, "It's the Misses!" Running up to her, she gave the small creature a hug and said, "Winnie, has the master been here recently?" Shaking her head she replied, "No, misses. Not since he stopped by to give Winnie money for the misses. Master said you would be here soon but that was weeks ago... Is master alright?" Anya looked down at the floor and said, "I don't know, Winnie. He brought me to the woods and left me there without saying a word. I have no idea what is happening right now. He rescued me from danger like he has time and time again... Did he say when he would be back?" Winnie shook her head once more and said, "Master just said that he would be back when it was all over..." Confused, Anya asked, "When what is all over, Winnie?" The house elf looked out the window in the room and replied, "The battle. He said that misses would stay here with Winnie until it was over and that master would return after it was over." Anya sighed deeply. Looking around the house she said, "Well I suppose we will be here for a while. Do you mind if I take a bath, Winnie?" Scrambling into the hallway, Winnie grabbed a few towels from the linen closet and replied, "Of course, misses!" Laying the towels in the bathroom, she filled the tub with hot water, remembering that Anya liked hot baths. Thanking the house elf for her kindness, Anya closed the bathroom door for privacy and sank into the steaming hot water, closing her eyes as she slid further down into the tub. </p><p>Anya had fallen asleep and awoke with a gasp. The water had grown cold and she pulled the stopper, filling the tub once more. Once she was done bathing, she dried off, dressed and walked into the small sitting room where Winnie had placed a tray of tea and sandwiches for her on the table. She had forgotten that she had not eaten in what seemed like weeks and her stomach growled loudly as she smelled the food in front of her. Eating alone, she pulled a book from the large bookcase and began reading. Before long, it was dark and she had finished half the book. Standing in the middle of the room, Anya began pacing, thinking about all of the terrible things that could possibly be happening to her family and friends at the mannor. Suddenly she had an idea. The fireplace! She ran to it and called out into the emptiness. There was no response. She continued doing this for several minutes before Winnie overheard her pleas for someone to answer her. Giving a halfhearted smile, Winnie said, "Master Snape disconnected the floo before he left a few weeks ago... No one will answer the misses." Anya felt the hot tears sting her eyes as she sat down on the hearth and placed her face in her hands. Feeling the all too familiar sense of fear and hopelessness, Anya eventually realized that she would have to stay put until Snape returned. She rose from the hearth and grabbed a blanket off of the love seat before sitting in the arm chair beside it. She pulled her feet underneath her and began reading once more, waiting for Snape to return.</p>
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<a name="section0037"><h2>37. Battles & Burnout</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The battle ends.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi there! I'm sorry that I am posting this chapter so late, but better late than never, right? I hope you all enjoy this one! </p><p>As always, I only own the original characters in this story. All things Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Snape returned to the mannor, angry at himself for not speaking to Anya before he left, but deep down he knew that it would be next to impossible to leave her if he did. Walking up the small hill just before reaching the property, several pops could be heard surrounding him. Pausing mid step, Snape turned slowly to see men of all ages in auror robes walking towards him and he quickly tightened his grip on his wand before saying, "Where have you all been? We needed assistance hours ago!" A middle aged brunette man in royal blue robes stepped forward and said, "Dumbledore sent us. Just wait..." As Snape went to reply, several more pops could be heard behind the ever growing group of people. Peering over the crowd, Snape looked the newcomers up and down. These people were not aurors. Confused, Snape looked towards the man and asked, "And them? They barely look old enough to own a wand let alone fight with one!" A short blonde young man from the back of the group called out, "We are Dumbledore's Army! Like it or not, you need our help. We came to help... Use us." Noticing the 'DA' pin on the collar of his shirt, Snape couldn't deny that he did in fact need all the help that he could get, but he wondered why Dumbledore would be willing to have youngsters within his ranks. Without giving it any further thought, he nodded and said. "What we are about to do... What you all are about to walk into is not for the faint of heart. This is real. The danger, the spells, the curses... It is all real. You are walking into a den of potential death. Those of you unwilling to go any further should leave now." Scanning the crowd, Snape witnessed a small handful of Dumbledore's "noble" army disappear in the blink of an eye. Shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, he continued, "Right... We need to devise a plan. Malfoy Mannor is an expansive property. We cannot merely walk in the front door and join the fight. We need coverage around the entire property, including on the roof as I have a feeling that some will understandably try to use the added height to their advantage. Now, any ideas? Quickly now! I have family in there unsupported!" The group quickly devised a plan and disapparated, making their way to the mannor.</p><p>In a puff of black smoke, Snape arrived in the front courtyard with the distant sounds of screams swimming through his head. Darting out of the way of a bright green curse that struck the lawn to the right of him, Snape tightened the grip on his wand and angrily made his way to the front door. With a deep breath, he kicked the front door and entered the foyer, shielding himself from a random spell. Sending the spell back to the person it came from, Snape witnessed Order members young and old fighting for their lives. Running towards a small group of young DA members in the far corner of the room being held captive by three Death Eaters, Snape sent a binding charm towards them, causing the three to fall face first. One of the young men, the only one with fiery red hair, stepped on the back of one of the hooded figures and aimed his wand downwards. "Thanks, professor. I have it from here." Snape nodded and scanned the room once more, noticing a rather large group of people in the center of the room under attack. Hearing a familiar voice from the middle of the crowd, he immediately recognized that Sirius was in trouble and broke out into a run towards him. Shielding himself from oncoming curses with one hand, Snape stopped momentarily to form what looked like a tornado of wind with his wand and sent it barreling towards the group of cloaked Death Eaters, watching as it sucked the majority of them into the epicenter before continuing its path throughout the foyer. He made his way to Sirius, jumping in front of him to shield him from the downpour of curses that were aimed their way. Sirius called out as he rested his wand arm for a moment, "We are fucked! Arthur has been injured and thankfully Nathan was able to get him out of here before he was executed right in front of us. What are we going to do, Severus?" Snape turned to look at Sirius with his hands still raised, supporting the shield and replied, "For once, Black, I do not know." Sirius looked straight ahead and sighed before saying, "Give me ten seconds and I can be back at it! We need a miracle for this to end well for us." Looking around the room, Snape called out to Sirius, "Get behind me! Stay back to back! When I drop this shield, you aim left and I will cover the right!" He began counting backwards from five and when the shield dropped, both men fought back with everything that they had. Going on for what seemed like hours, the battle raged on and Snape along with Sirius dodged curse after curse before they both found themselves being slammed against the wall by an invisible force. Loud noises filled their ears and their eyes were forced shut, rendering them blind. Feeling his wand slipping out of his fingers, Snape fought against the immense pressure being forced against him and slowly raised his hand, sending out what looked like a silvery translucent wall straight ahead. Both men fell to the ground with a loud thud as the wall separated them from the enemy. Slowly Snape lifted Sirius off the floor and grabbed both wands before leaning him against the wall for support. "You have to get up, Black! It's not over yet!" Reaching into his robe pocket, Snape found a spare pepper up potion and uncorked the bottle as he held Sirius' head back, pouring it into his mouth. After a few seconds, Sirius opened his eyes wide and lunged forward. Holding him against the wall, Snape slipped him his wand and said, "Gather your bearings, Black. We have a battle to win." </p><p>Jerking awake, Anya sat up and looked around the dark room. Realizing where she was, she called out, "Severus?" No answer. Winnie peered around the kitchen door frame and said, "Master has not come home yet, misses. Winnie can make some tea for the misses. Would the misses like tea now?" Anya nodded, glancing at the grandfather clock. It was 11 p.m. Standing slowly, her body felt abnormally heavy and her feet almost refused to move forward. Slumping back onto the couch, Anya leaned forward as Winnie scrambled over to her, patting her hand and rubbing her head. "Misses has a fever. Is misses feeling alright?" Anya, aware that something was wrong, stared into the darkness of the room and said, "Winnie... We have to find a way out of here." Winnie replied, "But misses, the master said to stay here with Winnie!" Anya, frustrated with the house elf's unwillingness to assist her, belted out, "Now, Winnie! Find me a way out of these wards, NOW!" Winnie toppled backwards in fear and she watched Anya stand up slowly once more, only to fall to the ground on her hands and knees. Winnie slowly creeped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. With a small pop, they were gone. </p><p>By midnight, several were injured and others dead on both sides of what seemed like a never ending war. Snape found a small closet for he and several others to rest in momentarily as they regrouped and formed a new plan. Casting an extension charm on the room, Nathan walked over to sit in the corner of the room, placing his face in his hands and rocking silently. Snape saw this and crouched down just in front of him and placed a hand on top of his. Jerking his head up quickly, Nathan gazed at Snape with fear in his eyes, blood dripping down the side of his face. "Oh Severus, it's just you... You scared me. Sorry... I'm having a bit of an internal pep talk at the moment. Ha! Think of that!" Snape tilted his head, his eyes filled with understanding. He patted the young man on the hand and said, "Let me work on this for you..." Lifting his wand and his hand, he began healing Nathan's head wound. Realizing that he was in much better shape thanks to Snape, Nathan leaned forward quickly and hugged him. Unaware of what to do, he patted him on the back and said, "It will be alright. We just have to stick together." Unable to break Nathan's hug and feeling him shake, Snape realized that he was crying and out of pity, returned the hug. Sirius walked over and said, "Okay you two... Get a room." He patted Nathan on the shoulder firmly and looked at Snape who stared at him with contempt and concern. "What now, Snape? Do you have a plan?" Severus shook his head. "Let's lay low for a few more minutes and face this head on. That's all we can do. Our men are out there without us!" Nodding in agreement the three men sat against the wall and passed around a few bottles of pepper up potion before standing to head out the small closet door. </p><p>As they emerged from the broom closet, a loud boom could be heard on the other side of the mannor and Snape found himself running towards the sound. Skidding to a hault, he threw his arms in front of the men running behind him. He and the others stared in horror as they witnessed Voldemort walking through the foyer, sending balls of fire through the room that slammed into the wall and exploded on impact. Catching a glimpse of Severus, Voldemort boomed, "SEVERUS SNAPE! FACE ME, YOU COWARD!" Gathering his wits and clenching onto his wand, Snape held out his arms to keep the others from following him and he stepped out into the open. The Dark Lord inhaled deeply as he watched Snape cautiously creep out from the hallway. Tisking loudly he said, "Severus... I have been looking for you..." Snape tilted his head slightly and replied, "I have been where I always have been, my lord." Voldemort scoffed, "With my mate, of course." Snape shook his head. "With all due respect, my lord..." Voldemort boomed, "DO NOT SPEAK TO ME AS THOUGH YOU RESPECT ME, YOU TREACHEROUS PIECE OF EXCREMENT!" Looking down at the ground, all Severus could do was hold his tongue as the Dark Lord spoke once more. "Suffice it to say, Severus, that I am no longer in need of your service. Perhaps you and your group of... heroes... would care to retreat. Rest up and come back tomorrow, perhaps? You are wasting our time. Do yourself a favor, Severus and go home. There is no use in fighting this any longer." Snape cast his gaze towards Voldemort and replied, "One must always fight for anything worth having, my lord." Voldemort cackled obnoxiously and looked around the room, causing all of the hooded masked figures to erupt into laughter as well. With a wave of his hand, everyone stopped laughing and they focused on the unprotected man in the middle of the room once more. "How poetic, Severus. Am I safe to assume that your words are for the girl?" Staring into the Dark Lord's eyes, he replied, "Everything is for her... All of my words... Everything I do..." Standing silently across from him, Voldemort shook his head and said, "How sweet... Severus Snape has found someone to love... Tell me, Severus... Does she feel the same way?" With a loud crack, Anya and Winnie appeared between the two men. Eyes wide in horror, Snape called out for her. "ANYA!" Before she could turn to look at him, she turned her body towards Voldemort who sent a ball of light straight towards her. As if happening in slow motion, Anya momentarily closed her eyes tightly and with a deep breath, opened them and lifted her arms, quickly clapping her hands together, creating a large silvery wave of energy around herself. With an exhale, she lifted her arms to her sides once more and threw her head back as the energy exploded from around her, sending Death Eaters flying in each direction. Voldemort planted his feet firmly on the ground but was unable to stand upright and was forced to bend downwards. Snape watched in amazement as wave after wave of energy was sent out from her body and slowly the masks of the surrounding Death Eaters began to dissolve and their robes were all that was left laying on the ground around them. Suddenly, her energy field began to retreat and Snape moved forwards, carefully avoiding her energy. He stood behind her and caught her as her field faded away, causing her to faint into his arms. </p><p>Standing before them was a bruised and broken Voldemort, trying desperately to pick himself up off the ground. Before Snape could raise his wand, someone cleared their throat behind him. Turning to look at the small crowd forming behind him, Snape noticed Dumbledore standing in front of them all, arms folded. He nodded his head and said, "I think I can take it from here, Severus. Step aside... You have all done so well." Confused but wanting to check on Anya, Snape stepped aside and walked over to Sirius and Nathan who gathered around her as he laid her on the ground with her head in his lap. Dumbledore stepped forward and with a flick of his wrist, a green stream of light came from the end of his wand, striking Voldemort in the abdomen. With a loud crackle, Voldemort stumbled forward and exploded into nothingness. The room erupted into applause, all but the handful of people in the back of the room attending to Anya who would not wake up. Snape waved his wand up and down her body, scanning for injuries both internal and external, only finding an issue when he stopped at her head. Placing his hands on either side of her head, he closed his eyes as he focused on scanning her mind. Coming across a wall blocking his access to a specific part of her mind, Snape worked tirelessly to break down the barriers but even when she was unconscious, Anya was stubborn and refused to let down the wall. Snape removed himself from her mind and looked up at Sirius and shook his head. "She won't let me in... Even when she is unable to speak, she lifts barriers. I can't get in..." Dumbledore made his way to the group surrounding her lifeless body and hovered over them, watching intently as Snape continued to scan her. Finally, Snape gazed up at Dumbledore with pain and desperation in his eyes. "Please... Help her. I don't know what is wrong with her. I can't find anything and she won't let me in. It has to be in her mind... Please. I know you do not agree with our relationship, but you cannot let her remain like this..." Staring at Snape as he pleaded with him, Dumbledore leaned forward and tapped her forehead one time. Still, she lay there unmoving and unaware of her surroundings and everyone stood holding their breath. Slowly, people began to disperse and wander outside for fresh air. Sirius reached down to grab Snape's shoulder and said in a solemn tone, "Come on, mate. Let's get some air." Suddenly Anya's eyes fickered open and she said quietly, "Did you just refer to him as mate?"</p>
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<a name="section0038"><h2>38. The Aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Forgive my lack of posting. I know that there are a few of you out there that have been interested to see how this story ends. </p><p>I'm sorry that this chapter is so much shorter than the others. I have been extremely busy and have been unable to take a minute to post anything new. However, I did want to give you all a glimpse into what the aftermath would be like for the couple after the battle had been won. </p><p>I would just like to say thank you to those who have been patient with my busy schedule and who have been leaving me kudos and commenting. I really appreciate the support.</p><p>Stay tuned because I am currently working on a new story for you all!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Falling backwards in shock with a hand over his mouth, Snape ran a hand through his hair as Anya sat up, scanning the room for familiar faces. Sirius crouched down beside her and began petting her hair. He piped up with a chuckle, "I did indeed. This man... You wouldn't believe what he has done for our world. Anyone that can pull that off is alright in my book." Scanning Anya's face as he gathered his bearings, Snape leaned forward on his knees and placed a hand on the side of her face. Staring into his bloodshot onyx eyes, she found herself beginning to tear up before she managed to say breathily, "Thank you, Severus... For everything." With a pain filled half smile, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead, wrapping her into a hug and assessing the damage done to the mansion around them. "Thank you for not listening to me. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up. We have a lot to discuss. Perhaps we should get outside. I don't think the structure will hold much longer after all of the damage it has received." Rising to his feet, Snape grabbed Anya's hands and helped her stand. A familiar voice could be heard just behind her and when she turned to look at the person standing there, the tears began to fall quickly. With a quivering voice, she asked quietly, "Nathan? Is it really you?" He nodded and held out his arms for a hug which Anya leaned into immediately. He laughed lightheartedly, draping his arm over her shoulder as they walked out the large front door onto the expansive lawn. </p><p>When the group wandered outside, they were surprised to find small clusters of aurors and DA members quietly discussing what they had just witnessed and experienced first hand. Rushing over to Anya, a short blonde boy no more than sixteen asked excitedly, "How did you do it? What was that about?" A sea of people formed around her, asking questions and patting her on the back. Unable to give them a straight answer, Anya looked down at her feet and replied, "I am not completely sure, to be honest... It just sort of happened." Before long, Snape shooed them all away and turned to face her, grabbing her hands and holding them against his chest. Smiling wearily, he asked her with a breath of exhaustion, "Are you ready to leave? I don't know about you, but I could do with a shower, some food and a bit of sleep." Nodding and tucking her hair behind her ears, she looked up at him with doe like eyes and said, "You deserve it. Come on... Let's go home." Linking her arm in his, she waved at her friends and family as the pair disapparated with a flash. </p><p>Arriving just outside of the cottage, Snape waved his wand to lower the wards and the pair made their way through the small garden gate. As they entered, they saw Winnie making tea and cleaning the small table in the kitchen. As soon as she saw the pair, she exclaimed, "Master is home!! Misses! Misses is home as well! Winnie wondered when you would be home so she starts tea at normal times just in case you returned home. Would the master and the misses care for tea?" Snape nodded and replied, "Tea would be fine, Winnie. However, you and I need to talk for a moment." Winnie's smile faded, knowing that what was about to be said wasn't going to be good. "Yes, Master." He pulled out a kitchen chair and motioned towards it, signaling for her to sit down. Climbing up on the chair, she turned her head, unable to make eye contact with him. "Winnie, when I asked you to watch after Anya, I thought that I made myself very clear." Winnie nodded and said, "Master made himself perfectly clear, but..." Anya cleared her throat. "It was my doing, Severus. I made her take me to you." Snape cocked an eyebrow and asked, "And how exactly did you know where I would be?" Winnie shrugged and blinked cluelessly. "Master... Winnie is unsure. Winnie did not know, but the misses... She knew. She just knew the way!” Snape stared at Anya and watched as she fiddled with an apple, twisting and turning the stem, hoping to not be the next one to be questioned. Nodding silently to himself and leaning back into the chair with his arms crossed, he said in a hushed tone, "Well whatever happened, I'm glad that you didn't obey orders. The battle would never have been won this quickly if it wasn't for the two of you." Leaning forward, he took the house elf's hand and continued, "Thank you, Winnie. I don't know what I would do without you." With tears in her eyes, Winnie smiled broadly and said, "Winnie is happy to be of service, sir. Now, back to the tea!" Anya smiled, still not looking up from her apple and Snape watched as she and Winnie passed a wink back and forth. Releasing a small breathy laugh, he rose from the table and slowly reached out to her, grabbing the apple from her hands and placing it on the counter. He pulled her closer to himself and leaned forward, resting his forehead on her own. Unable to look at him, Anya asked, "You want to know what happened, right?" Casting his gaze towards the floor, he replied, "Yes, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I already know." Turning to face the window over the kitchen sink, she sighed, taking in the sight of the gardens. "Well perhaps you could fill me in, Severus because I have no idea where that came from. One minute I was here and anxious and the next, I was overheating and unable to move. What is that about?" He leaned against her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed the back of her neck softly. With a finger, he traced the outline of the necklace around her neck. Leaning into her ear he said, "I believe this has something to do with it. I'm not completely positive, but perhaps when I was unable to return to you, it began to malfunction causing you to feel disoriented and the longer we were apart, the worse it became." Sighing and staring into the sink, Anya replied, "But that doesn't explain my sudden burst of explosive energy..." Thinking in silence momentarily, Snape said, "I don't know, but I'm glad that it happened." Nodding in agreement, she turned around in his arms, flashing him a halfhearted smile. "What do we do now?” Reaching forward and tucking a small piece of hair behind her ear, Snape replied, “I suppose now we should start planning that wedding. Don’t you think?” Grinning from ear to ear, Anya gave a broad flourish of her wand as muggle magazines and notepads appeared on the kitchen table. Flopping down quickly in one of the old white kitchen chairs, she eagerly beamed up at him and exclaimed, “Way ahead of you, my love.”</p>
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